Exposed Magazine June 2023

STANDING AT THE SKY’S EDGE SERENADES THE EXPOSED AWARDS

EXPOSED AWARDS: WHO WON WHAT? // DOCFEST 2023 // THE FULL MONTY RETURNS // HARRI

LARKIN // HELION ART // HENGE

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CONTENTS

30: AND THE WINNER IS…

The Exposed Awards made a triumphant return to Peddler Warehouse last month, celebrating the best that Sheffield has to offer across music, fashion, hospitality, culture, events and more! We’ve got a big roundup of how it all went down on the night, including nominees, interviews with winners and a memorable appearance from the cast of Standing at the Sky’s Edge.

21: DOC ‘N’ ROLL

From world premieres to immersive AR installations, our seasoned DocFest regular Mark Perkins takes us through this year’s programme before settling down for a chat with MD Annabel Grundy and acting creative director Raul Niño Zambrano.

46: TURNING UP THE HEAT

Exposed’s Iago Castro Charlón invites you to step into the culinary chaos with him for the first instalment of ‘Kitchen Diaries’, taking us behind the well-prepared small plates and exposing what a busy service at a local restaurant actually looks like.

52: LARKIN ABOUT

Following the release of their latest single, ‘Dopamine’, we caught up with the lead singer of genre-blending Sheffield-based outfit Harri Larkin for a natter about new music, changing influences and a busy upcoming festival season.

58: TOGETHER AS ONE

Get Together Festival rocked up in Kelham Island towards the end of last month, taking over six venues with a plethora of live music, food and drink, art and DJ sets on offer. Our guy Ash Birch reports on how it all went down.

Ayup.

The summer months look good on Sheffield, don’t they? Green spaces spring to life across the city, beer gardens bustle from Hillsborough to Heeley and open-air events begin taking over the parks, stadiums and arenas.

In terms of live music alone, there can’t have been many better summers for colossal homecoming shows. As I write this welcome note, multi-platinum-selling rockers Def Leppard have recently played to 850 packed into the Leadmill before performing in front of 30,000 at Bramall Lane a few days later. This month, you’ll have High Green’s finest taking over Hillsborough Park, playing to 80,000 over two nights, prior to the mighty Pulp completing the hat-trick of epic back-to-the-roots gigs with consecutive Sheffield Arena shows in July.

A massive shoutout, too, for South Yorkshire legend Self Esteem returning to the Steel City, now fully recognised as one of the most empowering pop artists in the UK. Rebecca will be headlining the Rock N Roll Circus at Don Valley Bowl on 2nd September, bringing the summer festivities to a close with another show to make you feel proud of the artistry this city has produced over the years.

And that’s far from all! Throw the likes of Get Together, Tramlines, Migration Matters, DocFest, Sheffield Food Festival, Woodseats & Heeley Live, Festival of Debate, Float Along, Mosfest, Pax in the Park and everything else I’ve missed into the mixer and you could make a very compelling case for summer 2023 being the best one… ever?

I mean, we could even have both football clubs celebrating promotions! When has that ever happened?! (I’ve just checked and it’s 1984, before anyone @s me).

So, here’s the rallying call from your friendly neighbourhood mag. There’s positively tons going on over the next couple of months and plenty of experiences not to be missed. So, if you’re able to, get out there and support your local venues, events, theatres, pubs, bars, shops, cafes, bands, artists and breweries – make the most of everything that makes this city a special place to live.

And if you need a bit of inspiration, there are some wonderful nominees and winners listed in the Exposed Awards round-up over on page 30.

That's all from me. I'll let you crack on.

Have a good’un!

@josephfood

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THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN

One of Sheffield’s most famous musical exports celebrated a homecoming in style last month. The multi-platinum-selling Def Leppard paid homage to their roots, delivering a masterclass in rock performance to 30,000 adoring fans gathered at Bramall Lane. But when it comes to Sheffield icons, we’re just getting warmed up! This month, High Green heroes Arctic Monkeys stop off at Hillsborough Park as part of the UK tour for their latest album, The Car, before the legendary Jarvis Cocker returns to Sheffield Arena 14-15 July for Pulp’s first set of live shows together since 2012 (supported by a chap who’s pretty popular around these ends, a certain Richard Hawley). Not too shabby to get you into the swing of things for summer, eh?

UPFRONT A SHEFFIELD LOVE STORY

Much-loved

Steel

City

artist Pete McKee will launch a new exhibition celebrating the story behind an iconic local mural and the important role of pubs in the community.

Opening in the city in November, 'Frank and Joy - A Love Story' is an interactive exhibition sharing the tale of two of the artist’s most-loved characters.

Frank and Joy are the couple featured in The Snog, the work of art painted by Pete in 2013 on the side of Fagan’s pub on Broad Lane.

The exhibition, opening a decade after the original mural was painted, will celebrate Frank and Joy’s life story told through their local, while also showcasing the vital role pubs play within our communities.

It will open at Trafalgar Warehouse in Sheffield city centre from 4th -19th November 2023 and tickets are available to purchase now.

As part of the exhibition, people are being asked to submit photos of their own 'The Snog' from either in front of the mural or in or outside their own favourite pub. Entries should be emailed to frankandjoy@ petemckee.com by July 31.

Pete, whose other Sheffield murals include Frank the Whippet and Muriel, said of the upcoming celebrations: “Happy 10th anniversary to Frank and Joy! When I painted the mural a decade ago, I never imagined it would become such a landmark in my city.

“I’m very excited to share the story of Sheffield’s favourite couple in Frank and Joy — A love story. The work in this exhibition is about relationships – not only between people, but also between a pub and the communities they can create.

“I really want to mark Frank and Joy as characters themselves, but I also know how important the mural is generally to the people of Sheffield and beyond and find the concept of how

MCKEE WATCH

FRANK

Seen on the

of

MURIEL

Located on the Art House building, towards the bottom end of Carver Street, you’ll find Muriel on her way out to do the big shop.

FOX VALLEY

Away from the city centre, Pete’s Fox Valley mural in Stocksbridge celebrates the area’s longstanding history of steelmaking and craftmanship.

pubs have influenced and shaped society really interesting. This exhibition will be a celebration of all those things.

“Over the years I have been sent many photos of people creating their own version of The Snog, often taken on their own wedding day right in front of the mural itself, or in other pubs or places that are special to them, so I thought it would be lovely to include as many of these images in the exhibition as possible as well. We’re looking forward to

receiving as many as possible.”

Tickets are priced at £7 (£5 plus booking fees) for adults, and £5 (£3 plus booking fees) for children (aged 12-18). Children under the age of 12 and assistant carers do not require a ticket but must visit with a full priced adult.

For more information and to buy tickets, visit: www. frankandjoy.co.uk or www.petemckee.co.uk

Here’s where else you can find some of Pete’s murals dotted around Sheff...

side

Kelham Arcade, 92 Burton Road, you’ll find regular McKee character Frank the Whippet snuffling a packet of biscuits (Hobnobs to be precise).

THERE’S SOMETHING BREWING

Last month, social impact developers Capital&Centric hosted a conversation about the future of Cannon Brewery. The team are currently working on plans to create a new neighbourhood at the long-abandoned site and invited people down to nearby Heist Brew Co. on Neepsend Lane to discuss their blueprint.

Speaking to Exposed last month, Tim Heatley, cofounder of Capital&Centric, said of the talks: “Cannon Brewery is a major opportunity for Sheffield – it’s a massive site that’s sat empty for quarter of a century. It presents loads of challenges, but we’re determined to make it a really diverse and interesting neighbourhood, a worthy extension to a growing city. It’s still pretty early days for us, but we wanted to get a feel for the key aspects that people think we should be considering as we move forward.

“It was brilliant to see people head down to our new neighbours Heist Brew Co and meet our team to discuss the site’s future. Pretty much everyone we spoke to said that the derelict Cannon Brewery has become a bit of an eyesore, but that it could be really special when developed. People are keen to see the design of the neighbourhood reflect the feel and identity of Neepsend as well as a proper mix of spaces that underpin a genuine community, from general stores and café bars or delis, to public green spaces where people can meet and hang out.”

The developers – currently featuring in Channel 4’s ‘The Big Interiors Battle’ – are custodians of the site. Once home to Stones Brewery, it was the birthplace of the UK’s best-selling bitter at the time before the doors closed for good in 1999. The place has been empty ever since.

It’s early days for Cannon Brewery’s transformation, but the mission to breathe life into the space, creating a buzzing and diverse neighbourhood follows the tried and tested method they’re taking in other cities like Manchester – where their

Kampus garden neighbourhood has won awards for their designled approach to the canal-side community.

Tim continued: “Cannon Brewery is a vast area that’s laid empty for years, just crying out for some vision. Whilst we take a design-led approach to all the communities we deliver – no two are the same. Whatever we bring forward must be made in Sheffield’s identity and be a worthy addition to the city as it grows.”

“What better way to do that than to get people and businesses involved from the very outset. Before we submit any firmed-up plan to the city council, we want to understand what the city’s

residents would like to see there and canvas ideas that we can take on board.’’

From the perspective of a growing, developing city, Tim added: “Sheffield’s got so much going for it. It’s getting more and more attention as people look for cool, diverse and green cities in which to put down roots. We’re proud to be part of that renaissance … the Cannon Brewery district will be a big part of the jigsaw and the city’s future.”

If you’d like more information on the proposed development, head www. capitalandcentric.com/ cannon-brewery

SHEFFIELD’S GOT SO MUCH GOING FOR IT. IT’S GETTING MORE AND MORE ATTENTION AS PEOPLE LOOK FOR COOL, DIVERSE AND GREEN CITIES IN WHICH TO PUT DOWN ROOTS.

A cosy hangout spot tucked away in the Cultural Industries Quarter, the Industry Tap is nothing short of a beer-lovers paradise.

It’s all about choice at the Industry Tap. Whether you’re a matchday reveller or a beer ticking connoisseur (or both!), there’s a beer for everyone across a whopping 21 lines at this truly independent Sidney Street boozer.

Since opening in 2019, the Tap has become a firm Sheffield favourite for everything from a quiet evening pint to grabbing a couple of cans from its stacked fridges, or even the perfect venue to hire out for that special occasion.

Showcasing brews from some of the world’s finest craft beer brands, as well as local and UKwide gems, the dog -friendly bar has you wellcovered whether you’re looking for a big Belgian beauty, something a little lighter on the palate, or even a gluten or alcohol-free option.

A glance up at the two screens, which hang above the bar, provides details of stouts or imperial stouts, IPA’s or double IPAs, sours and even premium ciders, on occasion.

Within their broad range of styles, local breweries are well represented with Sheffield favourites like Abbeydale, Triple Point, Little Mesters and SMOD all getting a look in alongside industry darlings like DEYA, and even more unusual fare from further afield.

They also boast a wide selection of spirits and cocktails if that’s more your thing, and just to make sure they have all the bases covered, they always offer a top-quality, premium lager on draught.

“We try to keep things a little bit different,” says Industry Tap owner Darren Filsell. “I’m very big on working with breweries direct and trying to get

TAP

stuff that’s not been in Sheffield before and I’ve got a fantastic team who are all very into their beers.”

Darren’s knowledgeable team all have plenty of experience in the hospitality industry and local breweries, making sure you’re in for a welcoming experience where you don’t have to be an expert to enjoy what’s on offer.

All this is before we get to the comfy interiors and glorious terrace suntrap. Darren and his team have worked tirelessly over the past few years to make sure the unusually shaped, triangular space feels homely and comfortable, and more importantly the perfect place to enjoy a scoop or two.

@industrytapsheffield

I came to Sheffield for university in September 2022, with my initial knowledge being, admittedly, everything I had learned from listening to the lyrics of Arctic Monkeys for much of my life. I had visited only three times before my university experience began last year. One of those visits was the famous Tramlines festival, which meant my excitement was uncontainable when I realised it is held at Hillsborough Park, calling to mind yet again an Arctic Monkeys lyric: “It’s High Green mate, via Hillsborough please.”

Even a few months, weeks, days before moving I still had little to no idea what to expect from this city. After growing up in the north of Manchester I presumed they would be alike, even though I had few similarities to go off other than it simply being northern. I was definite this was the university and the city that I wanted to attend but I didn’t like the feeling of the unknown, moving to this new place essentially blind. So, whilst now I may only be in my first year, me and my mates seem to have made it our mission to experience Sheffield like a local, not just (as many of us had) through the eyes of the Arctic Monkeys.

This immersion began in freshers’ week with the mission to attend all the club nights we could, whether that was Mondays at Corporation, Code Tuesdays, ROAR at the Foundry on Wednesdays, or the classic Leadmill Fridays – we tried to find something for every day of the week. This has continued well into semester two with each of us

BY EMMA TAYLOR

gaining a fondness for a specific place. For me, the bafflingly cheap drinks at West Street Live and Leadmill has earnt them the spot for my favourite nights out.

It was only in semester two where we decided maybe some more wholesome activities should be added into our day-to-day life. That’s when we found The Nottingham House in Broomhill; granted, it was one of the first pub lunches in Sheffield that me and my mates tried, but their pies stuck with us and that’s now where we’ll always attend our silent hungover recovery sessions. After attending the hidden gem (or at least hidden to the eyes of a Fresher who has lived in Sheffield for half a year) that is Sheffield’s own Zaap Thai on the first day of uni with my parents, me and my flatmates all ventured down to Ecclesall Road for my 19th birthday ready and buzzing for the vibrant atmosphere and the chance to sit in the cool booths of their restaurant. I can’t close off this food section of my freshers view of Sheffield without mentioning the Sun House Chinese in Broomhill where I’m so glad we have decided to consistently order from, any time one person in the flat suggests a takeaway.

We started going on walks around all the different green spaces in the area including visits to the Winter Gardens, Endcliffe Park and Botanical Gardens. Whilst, criminally, I am yet to do a walk in the Peaks, I have fallen in love with the peaceful tranquillity that Sheffield’s landscapes have to offer. Speaking of tranquillity, we went through a phase of trying out a bunch of different cinemas and The Light was definitely quite the experience, offering reclining chairs and side tables – it felt like luxury!

I felt I couldn’t write this without mentioning my favourite pub quiz (which I’m sure is a must for most uni students). The Broomhill Tavern Monday pub quiz honestly makes my week, an event that’s so popular you have to head down at least 30 mins early to get yourself a seat! Me and my flatmates go every week to be ridiculously competitive, stressed over the anagram question, debate the most niche tie-break question, and stare for a fairly long time at the picture round, with hopes to win a shot of Baby Guinness or perhaps even (one day) a main prize. Our claim to fame is that we now go there so often the quiz master has finally started to recognise us!

Overall, it seems to be an aim amongst me and most first year students I’ve met to become as immersed into the culture of your university city as possible, to create that fully fledged home from home, and I’m so grateful that Sheffield is the city I chose to do that with and G2 is the flat I got placed into. Now I can say I truly know Hillsborough and Hunter’s Bar – and because of more than just a lyric.

I CAME TO SHEFFIELD FOR UNIVERSITY IN SEPTEMBER 2022, WITH MY INITIAL KNOWLEDGE BEING, ADMITTEDLY, EVERYTHING I HAD LEARNED FROM LISTENING TO THE LYRICS OF ARCTIC MONKEYS FOR MUCH OF MY LIFE.

READY, SET … ACTION!

READY, SET … ACTION!

Back for its 30th edition this month, our resident dochead Mark Perkins previews the 30th edition of Sheffield DocFest.

ACTION! READY, SET …

I’ve been covering DocFest in these pages for over ten years now, and each year I can barely contain my excitement when the internationally renowned film festival rolls back into town.

Six solid days of watching films, discussing films and discovering films – what could be better? But on top of all that, we get the chance to hear from and talk to the people who make them. And there’s no predicting which films will win over the attendees for the coveted audience award.

Last year it was a charming, funny film about a bunch of amateur filmmakers from Bradford that stole our hearts. Three years earlier, it went to a harrowing story filmed in a Syrian hospital in war-torn Aleppo.

With all the anticipation running around in my

head, I went to the launch event in the Showroom a few weeks ago. This place has been the home of DocFest since its humble beginnings as a documentary-themed weekend of films 30 years ago. I was hoping to have a quick chat with some of the team behind the festival, but most of all I wanted to see what 2023 had in store. After a quick coffee and a pastry, we were all herded into the cinema for the big reveal.

As ever, the breadth and range of events is inspiring and daunting in equal measure: world premieres, live podcasts, post-film Q&A events, alternate reality installations and much more. There’s far too much going on to summarise succinctly (there’s a handy online programme at sheffdocfest.com), but I’ll scratch the surface and

Back for its 30th edition this month, our resident dochead Mark Perkins previews the 30th edition of Sheffield DocFest.

UPFRONT

mention a few films that look particularly enticing along the way.

Somewhat perversely, I’ll start off by mentioning a few events being staged not in the Showroom but the Crucible. There are several new music documentaries this year: the world premiere of the film Wham! And the international premieres of the Cyndi Lauper film Let The Canary Sing and TLC Forever (subject matter self-explanatory, especially if you know your 90s pop). Fun fact on that note: TLC are actually the biggest-selling American girl group since the Supremes. All of these screenings will be followed by Q&A sessions with the films’ creatives, plus the possibility of some ‘special guests’. Not promising anything here, but who knows who might turn up?

The opening night always features a screening at Sheffield City Hall, and this year it’s the world premiere of Tish by Paul Sng about trailblazing creative Tish Murtha, a photographer who dedicated her life to documenting the struggles of working-class communities in the North East of England. Tish was driven by a fierce conviction to record the impact of post-Thatcherite, deindustrialised Britain upon her local communities, and the film follows her daughter’s fight to preserve her mother’s legacy.

Guest of honour at the festival this year is Rakhshan Banietemad, an Iranian filmmaker, a selection of whose films are being shown in tandem with some new Iranian documentaries. There’s more about this in my conversation with DocFest’s creative team on page 26.

The programme of films and events is pretty mind-blowing at first glance, but to help us navigate and home in on films that might be of particular interest, the festival has handily divided the films up into six strands. The first of these is Debates, where there is a focus on films that talk about issues and topics people are discussing right now, such as interracial fostering and the identity of intersex people. Praying For Armageddon is my pick here, which follows fundamentalist Christians promoting and actually praying for the apocalypse.

Journeys is a strand that could include literal journeys from one place to another, or how people’s lives are changed in some way as they go on a metaphorical ‘journey’ in life. My choice in this strand is The Deepest Breath, a film where we’re given a front seat to exploring the deepest oceans.

Films under the Rebellions banner look at people striving for social change and fighting for what they think really matters. Be it politics, gender equality or the climate crisis, these films act as a witness to and also a tool for change. I’m going to choose While We Watched here for its exploration of the changing news media in India.

Memories is the strand which is intended to embrace an exploration of how the past impacts on both the present and the future. Donyale Luna: Supermodel is one such film I’d like to see, exploring the revolutionary life of the pioneering African-American model who became the first woman of colour to appear on the front page of

Vogue magazine.

The Rhythms strand is always my personal favourite, as it groups together films celebrating all aspects of music. I’ve mentioned a few already, but watch out for Maestra exploring the world of female classical conductors and following several women from around the world as they compete in the highly competitive La Maestra competition in Paris.

The final strand is People and Communities, a celebration of togetherness, families, friendships and communities. And if only for the title, I’ll be making sure I see Otto Baxter: Not A F***ing Horror Story – a feature-length documentary following Otto, a 35-year-old man with Down Syndrome, as he writes and directs a foulmouthed, autobiographical comedy-horrormusical.

Elsewhere, DocFest will be exclusively showing episodes of upcoming TV documentary series under the banner of First Impressions. I’m looking forward to Evacuation, which documents the harrowing and chaotic exit by allied troops from Kabul in 2021, and The Greatest Show Never Made – a film about people agreeing to appear in a reality TV show without knowing it was a hoax.

There will also be some live theatre for what I believe is a DocFest first. Jews, In Their Own Words is a special 60-minute abridged version of Jonathan Freedland’s 2022 play, produced by the Royal Court Theatre. It uses interviews with 12 British Jews, looking at the roots and effects of anti-Semitism, often to be found in the most unlikely places.

As memorable events go – and DocFest always comes up with some corkers – the Alternate Realities exhibitions have provided me with some of the most outstanding experiences over the years. I’ve swum through coral reefs, been locked in solitary confinement and I still haven’t quite recovered from the 'Door in the Dark' immersive event a few years back. It’s easy to think of documentaries as always having to be films, but, of course, telling a story can take on so many forms. There are 15 works at the Site Gallery, open to the public and completely free. One that caught my eye is Surfacing, a 360-degree VR documentary about mothers and children who live in prison. This part of the festival always contains something new; their stated aim is to break the boundaries of what we expect from documentaries. It makes full use of virtual reality, artificial intelligence, alternate reality, video gaming platforms and interactive installations, and every year creators seem to be pushing the boundaries of how they use these new and exciting technologies.

There are several Broadcaster Talks taking place, which over the years have been some of the most popular events of the festival. Laura Whitmore will be talking about her move into documentaries and her new TV series Laura Whitmore Investigates. The BBC Interview is always a flagship event, and this year David Harewood will be discussing his career in documentary filmmaking and the effect it has

had on him. Strictly Come Dancing winner Rose Ayling-Ellis will be discussing her upcoming BBC documentary Signs For Change, while TV historian and recent BAFTA winner David Olusoga will be returning and talking about a much-discussed topic, the state of the union in this country, which he explores in his upcoming documentary. X-Factor winner Dalton Harris has made a film, Dalton’s Dream, about how he has navigated the harassment over his sexuality while representing his home country. The Syrian swimmer, Sara Mardini, who pulled a boat carrying 18 refugees to safety, is just another one of the compelling guests who you’ll be able to hear from.

DocFest has made a pledge to connect with the community of Sheffield and beyond. In their 30th year they will be connecting with a minimum of 30 local charities and community groups over the next year through screening films, conducting school tours and arranging special events and workshops, such as one connecting with the themes and issues raised in the previously mentioned film, Dalton’s Dream. This aims to explore issues most relevant to LGBTQ+

individuals, along with community group access, and will be staged at the Central Library to invited groups.

There is now also a local advisory team on board helping to make the festival more relevant to the community. For the first time, there will be a DocFest exhibition charting the 30-year history of the event and its links with Sheffield. This has been created by Hallam University and will be held in the Hallam Pop-Up Shop inside the Hubs on Howard Street. For anyone looking to get involved but are worried about the costs, it’s important to note here that there will be a wider range of concessional and complimentary tickets available this year, with the launch of a Docs For All concession, available to anyone who needs it and offered on a trust basis.

On that note, I best be getting back to the programme and planning out my week. I’d strongly recommend you do the same too!

Sheffield DocFest takes place 14-19 June 2023. The full programme and information on tickets is available online at sheffdocfest.com.

PERKO’S TOP SHOUTS: OTHER FILMS/ EVENTS THAT CAUGHT MY EYE

The fight for free press looks like being a very common thread this year. The Price Of Truth follows the editor of what is now Russia’s only independent newspaper and looks set to be an intriguing watch.

In Not A Bedtime Story, the director confronts her father over the stories he told her as a child, which she has come to realise were in fact about what he did as a Colombian guerrilla fighter.

The Body Politic is a portrait of Brandon Scott, Baltimore’s youngest black mayor. He may well be at the world premiere, too.

Short films are often by necessity what documentary filmmakers produce. Wim Wenders has worked with four young Iranian filmmakers, and their films will be screened under the heading of Iran: A Sense Of Place, made about places not people.

Two live podcasts will be recorded at DocFest. One called Witches, about being a witch in the modern world, and the first ever live episode of BBC Radio 4’s Soul Music

UPFRONT

BEHIND THE SCENES

Could you tell me about the retrospective with Iranian filmmaker Rakhshan Banietemad. That sounds particularly intriguing and jumped out at me during the programme launch speech.

Whilst we react to what’s happening in the world, we’re also able to look at amazing voices in the cinema such as Rakhshan’s. The retrospective on her work shows how her films have influenced and shaped both the industry and creatives within the region of Iran. Her films have always focused on female activists and giving voices to women. We’re screening six of her films, alongside six new films by contemporary Iranian filmmakers, which will explore the challenge of everyday life in Iran, but also express their hope for a brighter future.

I’m always keen to see music documentaries and there are quite a few big names this year. Was that a conscious effort?

Following the programme launch, Mark caught up with DocFest’s new managing director Annabel Grundy and acting creative director Raul Niño Zambrano to discuss pulling together this year’s event.

Can you give me some idea of what has been happening in the past year in the lead-up to 2023’s DocFest?

We’ve travelled to other festivals, watched many films online and contacted people who have contacted us, thinking about films for this year and films for future festivals. We also have advisors all over the world who we consult with, who watch films on our behalf, and we get feedback from them. We have identified the six strands of film, and we are keen to stick with them. We want people to be able to navigate the festival more easily and we feel this will help. We’re a great team, which works well. We had 2500 film submissions, which had to be narrowed down to just 122. It’s really difficult! We always have to reject some really good films, which is hard, but we have to ask tough questions.

To get an idea of the operation, how big is the DocFest team today?

There’s a small year-round team of about 12, and we expand to about 40 as the

festival approaches. We also have up to 500 volunteers, who we can’t manage without. One thing we’re proud of is that in the year-round team we have people who started as volunteers. It’s important to us that people can aspire to become part of the DocFest team.

Music filmmakers often approach us. They’re keen to use Sheffield as the base to launch their films, as there is such a strong musical history and heritage here. We’re very proud that people are so keen to premiere here at DocFest. We know Sheffield is a musical city, and we love to get local people out and joining us.

Have you noticed the audience changing or any new trends with regard to the industry?

They are growing. It’s always good to have an introduction by the filmmaker with a Q&A after the film. People really like that, and it has helped the festival grow. Following the pandemic, we’re now well on the way to a full recovery. Everyone was so happy DocFest was back in 2022. It was smaller but we’re now growing back to where we were. Cinema as a whole is still in recovery, but we’re in a great position as a festival. People will always come out for something special. The industry response is much stronger too. Films are feelings and dreams writ large, and everyone enjoys the communal feeling of sharing them. Some people say that cinema will go away, but it never will. We as humans want to sit together and experience shared narrative and feelings. Documentaries are now so much more mainstream. Streaming platforms all have a documentary section alongside the feature films these days. That’s at the core of how DocFest started in Sheffield: people got together and said, ‘Documentaries need to be seen in front of a large audience. We need to celebrate it’. It’s grown since then.

Healthy & Tasty

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Always Fresh! Always Home Cooked

We get our produce fresh daily so our specials change often! From seafood to some incredible meats we work with the best suppliers from Sheffield to ensure we keep amazing standards of food.

Address: 3 Rockingham Gate, Sheffield, S1 4JD 73 – 101 Neepsend Ln, Neepsend, Sheffield S3 8AT

Phone: 0114 272 1332

Email: chinaredbookings@gmail.com

Website: www.chinaredsheffield.com

The Moor or Kelham Island?

We have 2 places for you to try our Szechuan food, join us at our Restaurant on the Moor or at our new street food stand at Cutlery Works.

The Exposed Awards took over Peddler Warehouse in style last night, transforming the venue into our annual ceremony celebrating the best that Sheffield has to offer.

Each year we’re humbled by the turnout on the night, as well as the thousands who vote to decide the winners beforehand, and true to form the place was packed out with Sheffielders representing a wide range of industries: music, fashion, hospitality, culture, events and more!

There were some very special guests present too! The team behind the Olivier Award-winning musical Standing at the Sky’s Edge were in attendance for the Sarah Nulty Special Recognition Award and cast member Rachel Wooding wowed the crowd with a live performance of ‘After The Rain’.

Live DJs and saxophonists kept the good vibes going throughout the evening as this year’s host Chris Arnold did a sterling job of hosting his first Exposed Awards.

After the ceremony ended, the party continued at neighbouring venues Parrot Club and Neepsend Social until the wee hours – while some plucky souls even made it to the official after-after-party at Firepit Rocks!

Truth be told, we’re a little hazy on the finer details of the night, but thankfully the immensely talented Ellie Grace was on-hand to capture all of the action as it went down.

Want to know who’s looking good in Sheff this year? Simply flick the page and we’ll introduce you to the winners…

BEST CAFE

BLEND

How are you guys feeling right now?

Well, it’s been a nerve-racking night so far, and we’re the first ones up so that’s ridiculous. But it’s an amazing thing to win, it really is.

What does winning tonight mean to you guys?

Wow, it’s what we’re going to do with it. It’s the energy we’re going to take with us and go forward, you know? We need huge amounts of support, so hopefully this will get a lot of people noticing us, seeing what we’re doing. Yeah, the Exposed award is the one to get, so hopefully it will be a bit of a gamechanger for us.

What would you like to say to the people who voted for you tonight?

Thank you, that’s it. Huge thank you for everyone, especially for everyone who’ve come to visit us. It means such a lot because we know every vote really counted and we were up against some massive competition.

Photography: Ellie Grace

SPONSORED BY PAGO

OUTDOOR CITY AWARD

SPONSORED BY OWLERTON STADIUM

BEST VINTAGE RETAILER GLASS

ONION

Congrats! How are you feeling?

We’re just really excited, and it’s the second time we’ve won it! So, as a fairly new vintage store, we’re really happy and really pleased. Oh, and thankful to everyone who comes in all the time, everyone that supports us and the community of Division Street. Big up Division Street!

What does it mean the second time around - is it even more special?

It’s really nice because we won it last year for our old shop, so this one is for our new shop on Division Street. A lot of hard work went into it, so this is for the new place! It means so much to be on Division Street alongside of a lot of other amazing shops as well.

So, what does the future look like for you guys in the new shop?

Consistency and progression. We want to help make Division Street be the best place to come and shop, and we want all people from loads of different cities to come to Glass Onion and all the other vintage shops in Sheffield.

OUTDOOR CITY AWARD

SPONSORED BY OWLERTON STADIUM

HEELEY CITY FARM

How are you guys feeling right now after your win?

We needed it this year. We’ve had a hard year, but we’re going to be bigger and stronger and more resilient than ever, so thank you so much for the support.

What would you like to say to the people who voted for you tonight?

It’s nice to be recognised for all the stuff that we do. We work really hard and sometimes it can be easy to get caught up in all that, so it’s nice to feel seen. It’s even more lovely to come to things like this so we can relax and enjoy ourselves.

What does the future hold for you guysbigger and better things?

Yeah. We want to be more resilient. Stronger. Better. Oh, and even more work in the community!

BEST NEW BAR

SPONSORED BY CRUZCAMPO

BEST VEGAN/ VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT

SPONSORED BY PAGO

BEST VEGAN/ VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT

SPONSORED BY PAGO

V|OR|V

How are you feeling right now off the back of your win?

Ah, it’s wonderful. It’s been a hard old slog recently, so it means a lot. You don’t get many rewards in this game, but when you do, it’s a fantastic feeling. We’re really pleased.

What would you like to say to the people who voted for you tonight?

We wouldn’t be here without the people who voted for us – they’re literally the people that are keeping us going. We’ve got a loyal following, people who keep on coming back for more, so we’d like to thank them for voting. I’m not sure everyone understands how much work goes into doing something like this and it’s a reward that we will cherish.

Is there anyone else you’d like to give a shout out to?

We’d like to thank all our team and Matt’s brother, Nick, who helped start the restaurant, as well as all the rest of the gang who work with us. We couldn’t do it without them!

BEST

NEW BAR

NEEPSEND SOCIAL CLUB

Best new bar, eh? How does that feel?

Stoked. Just unbelievable. What a bar. Ben and Tom as owners have been unbelievable the past year and a half. But it’s been a team effort too: great drinks, great food from Jim our head chef and it’s just a real honour to get the recognition from the people of Sheffield.

And what would you like to say to those people who voted for you?

Vote for us for best bar next year, please! We actually moved here in 2015 to start a business and we couldn’t have picked a better place to come. Sheffield’s wicked and everyone’s so warm and friendly; it’s our adopted home and will be for a long time.

Tell us a bit about how Neepsend Social started. Everything that we did... sort of the whole idea was born out of the whole Covid lockdown. People had been so isolated from each other, and we wanted to build something that was really communityfocused because of that. We’ve tried our best to do it, so it’s nice to get that recognition from the wider community.

SPONSORED BY CRUZCAMPO

BEST CLUB VENUE

SPONSORED BY GATECRASHER APARTMENTS

FOUNDRY

Well done, Foundry team! How does it feel to win?

Yeah, it’s great. We’re feeling very grateful for it. Like I said onstage, there’s a hell of a lot of people that put in a lot of work to make our club as good as it is, so it’s just nice to give them that award as well as you. We’re all a big team and we all work very hard on it.

Is there anyone you’d like to shout out specifically?

Alex O’Brien, Roary the mascot, Jimmy. Definitely all the staff and security who work with us. They absolutely smash it, and they make it such a wonderful place to be able to work and go to as a student or anything like that. As we said earlier, there’s a lot of graft that goes into it.

What would you like to say to those people who voted for you guys tonight?

Thank you very much! It’s a real pat on the back and really appreciated. It feels special to get to this point and a testament to a lot of work over many, many years by different teams.

TRAMLINES AWARD FOR BEST EVENT

PEDDLER MARKET

How are you guys feeling right now?

Overwhelmed, excited, happy, ecstatic!

Peddler has been running for a long time in Sheffield now. It must be nice to get this recognition from the Sheffield public?

Yeah, we’ve just built up this event over the years and it’s great to win this. Of course, we also host the awards itself in our venue, so we never really thought about being part of it, but it was very nice to be involved in the running with the other events who we’re massive fans of. And we won, baby! Woooo!

Is there anyone you’d like to give a shoutout to in particular?

Just these guys, the team, and all the traders that trade with us as well. Like, they’re the pulse, they’re the cogs and that’s what people come for essentially – amazing street food. Thanks to everyone who voted for us; keep coming to Peddler and do your events here too!

BEST UNSIGNED ACT

BEFORE BREAKFAST

Congrats, Before Breakfast! How does it feel to win this award?

Well, loads of our friends and people that we know are inside this room; all the cafes we go to and have meetings about the music at are here, plus the places we just go and have drinks at. I think it’s really nice to be part of that as a band, nice to just be part of the Sheffield community and hopefully everyone will go and listen to our music afterwards as well.

Is there anyone you’d like to shoutout or dedicate the award to tonight?

I think Sheffield Music School and all the kids that we teach there. Basically just to the future of music, innit?

Indeed. Is there anything else you’d like to add? Listen to our music because we’re f*cking great and we work really, really hard. Oh, and buy our merch!

BEST LOCAL BREWERY ABBEYDALE BREWERY

In a city full of good breweries, how does it feel to take this award home tonight?

Really great! Sheffield’s honestly one of the greatest brewing cities anywhere in the world, and we love working with the guys at so many incredible breweries across the city. It’s a fantastic beer scene with so many incredible pubs, bars and bottle shops.

Is there anything you’d like to say to those people who voted?

Thank you! This is a great city; we all work very hard and we’re glad that you like the beer. We’d make it anyway, but it helps that people like it!

Is there anyone in particular you’d like to give a shoutout to tonight?

The staff at Abbeydale Brewery for making it a really, really good place to work. The owners, the company itself – they’re the nicest people and it makes it such a great place to work. Very few people ever leave Abbeydale; we all love working there and even those that do go on to do great things. I spoke to some of the other guys nominated for tonight’s award and all they wanted to do was talk about making great beer and helping each other out, which is wonderful.

BEST LIVE VENUE

SPONSORED BY BEAVERTOWN NECK OIL

THE LEADMILL

It’s the Leadmill again! How does it feel to get this nod for the second year running?

So happy. We’re so proud to be from here, to work here, live here. To win this from the people of the city means the world to us.

What does Sheffield mean to the Leadmill?

HOME! We’re Sheffield people and it’s all about the community. Like someone said on stage earlier, it’s the world’s biggest village, but that’s not a bad thing. We all know each other, work together, support each other and all the work we do is to support the community. It’s great!

What is it that makes The Leadmill such a special place?

The people. All the staff – from the bar staff to the cleaners, the engineers to the office staff…. absolutely everyone! Across Sheffield we’ve got loads of amazing venues who work together, get involved and make it such a great music scene. There are also all the people who come and visit us, of course. Thank you to every single one.

BEST LIVE VENUE

Not even two years in and 5Tara have been voted as the best restaurant in Sheffield. Must be nice?

To be honest, I can’t believe it at the moment. We were here last year all ready with a script and everything, as we were nominated for the Best New Restaurant. We thought we could win that one, but this year we knew a lot of the best businesses had been nominated for this one. We never thought we could make it – and we’re just one-anda-half-years old! To come such a long way means a lot. We are so happy to have the local people behind us.

So, what’s your secret?

Love and respect. They are the two key ingredients that you need to put in. It’s important to us that we do things the traditional Indian way, stick to our roots and remain completely authentic. This is real Indian food and respect is a big part of that.

What would you like to say to the people who voted for you?

I mean, those people are magicians for us. They help us in so many ways. When we opened opposite Park Hill, I don’t think we appreciated the location we got. With the support that people gave us, we can never forget that. I’m very bad at remembering specific names, but I know the faces and I’d like to thank all of the them so much!

SPONSORED BY BEAVERTOWN NECK OIL

THE SARAH NULTY SPECIAL CONTRIBUTION TO SHEFFIELD

STANDING AT THE SKY’S EDGE

How does it feel to win this award tonight?

It’s really special, yeah. I feel like special recognition from Sheffield, from where the show emerged and where it belongs, that’s really important to us. The show started here, it’s about Sheffield; it’s very much grounded in its roots. We’ve obviously talked about the West End transfer, but this story is very much a Sheffield one.

What does Sheffield mean to you as a team?

I mean, it’s home. And I think also it’s a place that doesn’t like to shout about itself. I feel like Sheffield has an attitude of knowing it’s great, so it doesn’t really need to tell you in a way that some places do *cough* … Manchester … *cough*. But I think it’s nice to do things like this which acknowledge that, actually, maybe we could afford to be a bit louder in terms of shouting about the world-class art we make here.

I imagine there have been a few, but what have been your highlights for the show so far?

January’s closing night here in Sheffield this year. Or, actually, opening night all the way back in 2019 when the show was totally new and nobody knew much about it. You know, new musicals are hard, so you have no idea until you put something on its feet in front of an audience if it’s going to sink or swim. I remember the amazing response being the most extraordinary feeling; it felt like we were floating.

Congratulations! How does it feel to win?

It feels great! To win Best Cultural Experience in Sheffield is an amazing feat, so we’re very, very proud and very chuffed right now.

What were the highlights of the season for you?

Standing at the Sky’s Edge has got to be a massive winner for us; it’s something that we started in 2019, brought back this year and then it transferred to the National Theatre in London. 100,000 people have seen it so far, and they’ve seen a very Sheffield story! From Park Hill to Sheffield, then to London and the West End in 2024. We’re so excited to see the story get told on such a huge stage!

What big productions are coming next?

Miss Saigon is up next, the much-loved legendary musical. It’s the first time that anybody has been able to rewrite it, and we’re very excited. Thousands of people have already booked, so if you haven’t got your tickets for, now is your time to get them!

BEST INDEPENDENT SHOP

ANNIE JUDE’S

Well done, Annie! How are you feeling right now?

I just feel so lucky! So lucky to be here, lucky to be part of this community that is absolutely amazing; I’m really grateful for everybody who voted for us, and it really means a lot. Especially knowing they’re our customers, and they’re the best!

I noticed you sell absolutely everything! What’s your favourite product?

Oh my god! That’s a really hard one! I’m gonna say Claymore Candles because Jayden makes them and he’s my best friend. The chocolate we sell very nice too. Oh, and it’s a real honour to have a shop that sells Henderson’s Relish. It’s a very Sheffield thing that, isn’t it?

Absolutely! Would like to dedicate this award to somebody?

I would like to dedicate this award to my mum. Wherever she is right now, she would absolutely love this. Everything bought in the shop is in honour of my mum. She passed away, left me some money and that’s how I was able to open the shop. So, I pour all my love into it, for her, and I’m pretty sure she’s smiling somewhere!

THE

HENDERSON’S

RELISH MADE IN SHEFFIELD AWARD FRAZER’S COFFEE ROASTERS

Well done, Frazer! How does it feel to take this award home?

I didn’t expect this at all, so I’m very humbled right now!

Would you like to share with me the secret of a perfect coffee?

Source! I travel directly to the farms we source from, so I’ve been to Uganda in 2019, Brazil, Colombia… I’ll deal directly with the farm, so I make sure I can cherry-pick the best ones, see how they operate and make sure we can do our job to ensure quality side of things. Aside from that, I’m just very blessed to be working in a city that supports independents they way it does. We’ve just opened a new facility in the city centre, where we’re gonna have a roastery, a cafe and a training room. It’s very exciting times for us!

Do you have a favourite blend?

Oof! I’m always a fan of East Africa. Not a specific country, but the style, the growing methods, the altitude, the processing. If I had to say one, I’d go for Uganda or Ethiopia.

BEST NEW RESTAURANT

SPONSORED BY FENTI DIGITAL MARKETING

Congratulations guys! Did you expect to win this one?

We hoped so! But no we didn’t expect anything really, and we’re happy to be between some of Sheffield’s finest, so to come here and do it… it just feels fantastic, really.

What’s the secret to a good Mexican meal?

Actually, real corn tortillas is a start! I’m not from Mexico, I’m from Chesterfield, but we put all our heart and soul into our research, our development and just try our hardest. We know our boundaries, but we try to emulate the most authentic as possible cuisine with what we do.

Is there any advice to handle the spice you guys can share with us mortals? I can’t even handle the spice that well, to be honest!

What does the night hold for you now? A nice celebration?

Well, I was supposed to be working in the morning, but probably not now! Let’s have a drink and enjoy!

PELLIZCO PAESANI

Congratulations to Paesani! How are you feeling right now?

Amazed! We did not expect to win, not at all, but thanks to the support of the Crookes community - and the Sheffield people as a whole - we’ve managed it. It’s just amazing.

Would you like to share with us the secret of a perfect pizza?

Passion.

Got it. And now the real tricky question: what’s your favourite pizza? A good margherita, I guess! If it’s stonebaked really, really well that’s all you need!

After this night, what does the future hold for you?

I don’t know! But right now, with this prize in my hands, it just still feels unbelievable Thank you so much!

BEST TAKEAWAY

BEST

SUSTAINABLE BRAND

HILLSBOROUGH REFILL HUB

Congrats guys! Did you expect this victory at all?

NO! Not at all! We were so happy just to be nominated, especially as a new business, so it’s genuinely a massive surprise. We went into the competition just sharing the link, thinking to ourselves, why not? But we did not expect anything. The people in Hillsborough community have been so supportive and so wonderful, even in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis. They’re a vibrant community and we won’t be here without them.

Any tips you guys would like to share to make a positive change in our lives when it comes to sustainably?

The biggest tip I would give is to start small, start one by one. Some people might find it difficult, or expensive, but making little changes in every room of your house adds up. I also think that you might feel guilty about what you’re not doing, but, actually, you can only do so much, and that’s why we say every ounce counts. A lot of people doing it almost perfectly is better than just a few people doing everything perfectly. It’s all about trying and doing your piece.

Let’s celebrate now! Any last words? Thank you! That’s it!

Congrats to the Pangolin team! How do you feel right now, guys?

Pretty ridiculous to be honest! We’ve been running only for two years, and to see the recognition around the city from people that love us, who are always coming down to see us and support what we do… it’s fantastic.

What’s the most popular beer you’ve got on?

We rotate a lot, but some of them stayed with us for quite a long time. Everyone loves the Schöfferhofer grapefruit wheat beer and at just 2.5% ABV, it’s a proper sunshine pint!

Oooh, tasty. Got a personal fave?

I’m gonna go in for the self-love and choose our second birthday beer, which we did with Big Trip Brewing from Manchester. It’s an IPA called the ‘Non-Stop Disco Pangopack’!

BEST MICRO PUB

BEST TRADITIONAL PUB

SPONSORED BY GUINNESS

FAGAN’S

In a city full of cracking traditional boozers, can you sum up how you’re feeling to win in the Exposed Awards?

Not too bad at all! Seriously though, we’re absolutely hugely grateful to all of our regulars, those who’ve come in to support us since reopening and… yeah, it feels incredible to be here now.

What’s the secret to a perfect pint? You f**king look after it, mate! If you have a good seller and a good, steady hand, it will come!

We might know the answer here, but what’s your favourite pint at Fagan’s? Guinness, obvs. It needs to be Guinness! Come and try it out for yourself!

SPONSORED BY GUINNESS

BEST BAR

SPONSORED BY BIRRA MORETTI

TWO THIRDS BEER CO.

Congratulations! How are you feeling right now?

Really pleased, really delighted to get this award. It means a lot to us!

What’s the secret to running a great bar?

Turn up seven days a week with a smile on your face, serve everybody with a smile and enjoy what you’re doing. Build a nice relationship with the people who come in because this is what you work for – for moments like this!

The big question: what’s your favourite beer on the bar? That’s actually quite easy. It’s our house session IPA – every single time!

BEST FOOD HALL/ COURTYARD SPACE

SPONSORED BY CHASE DISTILLERY

Well in, Haggler’s! How does it feel to win?

First of all, thank you to all our Hagglers DJs, still bringing it with vinyls. They’re awesome. We’d also like to thank the beautiful community of businesses based at Haggler’s – that’s where all the love comes from.

What makes Hagglers so special?

I’d say that is built on love, first and foremost, built from the bottom to the top, handmade from day one, and when people come, they feel at home. It’s definitely a very warm space, and I think that’s why people come back so much.

What does the future hold for the space?

I’m so excited about the energy Corner Jammers are bringing. There’s also a new vintage clothing store that’ll be joining us! A bit of shopping, a bit of browsing, a bit of food, summer BBQs, more live music… there’s loads to come!

BEST BAR

SPONSORED BY BIRRA MORETTI

BEST FOOD HALL/COURTYARD SPACE

SPONSORED BY CHASE DISTILLERY

BEST CAFÉ

Sponsored by Pago

Premium Fruit Juice BLEND

Also nominated:

Birdhouse

Café Tucci

Chantrey Press

Elm

BEST CULTURAL EXPERIENCE

Sponsored by Napoleon’s

Casinos

SHEFFIELD THEATRES

Also nominated:

Botanical Gardens

Kelham Island Museum

Millennium Gallery

Weston Park Museum

OUTDOOR CITY AWARD

Sponsored by Owlerton

Stadium

HEELEY CITY FARM

Also nominated:

Cliffhanger

Graves Park

Sheffield Adventure Film

Festival

Whirlow Hall Farm

BEST INDEPENDENT SHOP

ANNIE JUDE’S

Also nominated:

Bear Tree Records

House of Luxe

Moonko

Polkadott

BEST VINTAGE RETAILER

GLASS ONION

Also nominated:

Freshman’s

JoJo’s Rag Parade

Preloved Kilo

Vulgar

THE HENDERSON’S RELISH MADE IN SHEFFIELD AWARD FRAZER’S COFFEE ROASTERS

Also nominated:

Birdhouse Tea

Bullion Chocolate

Our Cow Molly

Yorkshire Candle Company

BEST VEGAN OR VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT

Sponsored by Pago

Premium Fruit Juice V|OR|V

Also nominated:

Chakra Lounge

Church

Pom

South Street Kitchen

BEST NEW RESTAURANT

Sponsored by Fenti Digital

Marketing PELLIZCO

Also nominated:

Antler

Chop Shop Bar and Grill

Guyshi

Mavi Ruya

BEST NEW BAR

Sponsored by Cruz Campo NEEPSEND SOCIAL CLUB

Also nominated:

Happy’s

Kelu

Over the Yardarm

Tenaya

BEST TAKEAWAY PAESANI

Also nominated:

Napoli Centro

Porter Pizza

Rajput

Slap and Pickle

BEST CLUB

Sponsored by Gatecrasher

Apartments

FOUNDRY

Also nominated:

Dempseys

Forge

Hope Works

Leadmill

THE TRAMLINES AWARD FOR BEST LOCAL EVENT PEDDLER MARKET

Also nominated: In Good Company

Pollen

Skyline

Woodseats Live

BEST SUSTAINABLE BRAND HILLSBOROUGH REFILL HUB

Also nominated:

Beanies

The Bare Alternative

The Sheffield Honey Company

Unwrapped

BEST UNSIGNED BAND OR MUSICIAN BEFORE BREAKFAST

Also nominated:

Beachcomber

Cruz

Django Jones and the Mystery Men

Shanghai Treason

BEST TRADITIONAL PUB

Sponsored by Guinness FAGAN’S

Also nominated:

Shakespeare’s

The Broadfield

The Grapes

The Rutland Arms

BEST LOCAL BREWERY ABBEYDALE

Also nominated:

Bradfield

Heist

Saint Mars of the Desert Triple Point

BEST MICRO PUB PANGOLIN

Also nominated:

Boston Arms

Ecclesall Ale Club

Hymn to Ninkasi

The Bear

BEST LIVE VENUE

Sponsored by Beavertown Neck Oil

THE LEADMILL

Also nominated:

Delicious Clam

Foundry

Sidney & Matilda

Yellow Arch

BEST FOOD HALL / COURTYARD SPACE

Sponsored by Chase

Distillery

HAGGLER’S CORNER

Also nominated:

Cutlery Works

Dyson Place

Kommune

Sheffield Plate

BEST RESTAURANT

Sponsored by OEC

5TARA

Also nominated:

Cornerstone

Domo

Grazie

Orange Bird

BEST BAR

Sponsored by Birra Moretti TWO THIRDS BEER CO

Also nominated:

Alder

Cubana

Heist

Public

THE SARAH NULTY SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD STANDING AT THE SKY’S EDGE

TA VERY MUCH!

We couldn’t put on this do without the efforts of a few hardy souls, so special thanks go to this lovely lot…

Organiser: Danielle Gigg

Host: Chris Arnold

Venue: Peddler

Warehouse

Visuals: Cuckoo Films

DJ: Laurence Mason

AV: Wide Eye Lighting

Sax: Leon Davies

Magician: MM Magic Backstage Interviews: Olivia Warburton and Iago Castro Charlon

Awards: Wentworth

Pewter

Scran: New York’shire Pizza, Colombo Street and El Contador

TURNING UP THE HEAT: THE KITCHEN DIARIES

Writer, waiter and part-time chef Iago Castro Charlon pulls back the culinary curtain, detailing what it’s like working for a small independent restaurant on a busy weekend shift.

How many times have you passed by a small restaurant you barely even noticed it was there?

I know – hundreds. Often unnoticed, sometimes ignored. Away from the bright lights, the fancy town centre, the flashy trends and designs. But often full of special flavours, experiences and fighters. And my story starts in one of those places.

It’s almost 2pm. I’m worried about being late again. I’m Spanish, I gotta set up a different standard; people love to remind us of stereotypes. Here we are, in front of a long – but surprisingly exciting – Saturday shift. I’ve been working in a kitchen for years, and I still don’t know what to expect of a Saturday night; the stories I have could fill a book. But I’ll make do with this column for now.

Anyway, I made it on time. Daniela, my boss, is already there. She’s the closest I have to a mum in England, but she doesn’t like me to say that. She thinks I’m calling her old. Proud of her LatinAmerican heritage, she’s been bringing those vibes to the heart of Abbeydale Road for more than ten years with great success. A “hola” and a hug, as usual, and I walk into my “office”.

Andy, the head chef, is getting changed. He’s from Meersbrook, but he can cook better than any Latino chef while speaking the truest Yorkshire you’d ever heard - “You reyt, love?”.

Indeed I am, let’s cook.

Small kitchens have a soundtrack. Something chill to start the shift, maybe Oasis. It never fails. But we’re approaching 3pm. Blades are playing on

the radio, and Blades are religion. From ‘Morning Glory’ to the ‘Greasy Chip Butty’. The whistle blows and, at the same time, Nelson, the kitchen porter, walks into the kitchen. He’s a big guy from Honduras and is the pure, calm character every kitchen needs.

Daniela has prepared all of us a glass of gazpacho. “Gazpacho” is a humble term to refer to a Bloody Mary made by Latinos. It’s a Saturday opening tradition, and we must keep it.

Nelson gives me a hand prepping as much food as I can; yesterday was a really busy day, and we need to get ready for another hectic shift.

We’re still quiet. A couple of tables walked in and they’re now having a quick bite. The kitchen shakes in celebration for a couple of seconds: Blades are 1-0 up. There’s another little earthquake in the restaurant, as Dani’s two little children and husband run in to briefly visit and wish her good luck. As mentioned, family is at the very core of these places. The first bookings start to arrive, and we’re almost ready for the battery; shouts emanate once more from the kitchen. Foderingham saved a penalty in the 92nd minute. Some people asked questions; others just celebrated. If it’s a great day for Sheffield United, it is for us too. An unwritten rule. We’re starting to get busy. I need caffeine to work, and I already had a couple of cans of Monster so I’m awake but nervous. And this is the exact point when somebody asks for the saltshaker. Top tip: do not do this at any restaurant. Believe me, we get paid to season your food. Please, don’t ask for a shaker; don’t make us feel useless. And please, please, please

don’t ask for ketchup either. That’s even worse.

Whatever will happen in the next two or three hours is the closest to our personal Vietnam: stress, violence, swearing, fire, PTSD. You aren’t really conscious of how you can actually get it done. Until you get it done. Then, the peace after the storm. The kitchen seems to be crushed by a tornado. And you feel drained, hungry, thirsty… but satisfied. Very satisfied.

After a massive plate of food (a weird feeling, to eat the same food you’d been serving and hating for hours) and finally approaching the end, we sip a well-deserved pint of Mahou. We’re planning the orders, getting ready for the next week. There’s just enough time to sit after, enjoy a drink or two, and totally forget about it for a couple of days.

That’s the key. After the storm, you don’t sit with your workmates; you sit with your friends, your family. The bond is so strong, so different to anything you would experiment anywhere else. There are no artificial personal relationships; you must make it work by coming together. We’re in the same boat, even though we’re looking to reach different ports.

So, any time you pass by one of those restaurants, remember this letter. And have some food, a drink and a chat, or just look at them and smile. If you need a job, think about asking. Because those places are the key to understanding this city. Real people offering true experiences. Real people being themselves and making you part of their journey.

La Mama being La Mama.

5 HIDDEN GEM BEER GARDENS IN SHEFF

RED DEER

Situated in the heart of the city, but set back from the hustle and bustle, this traditional venue is offers a peaceful oasis when the sun’s shining.

UNIVERSITY ARMS:

Opposite the University of Sheffield’s Arts Tower, this picturesque beer garden is a popular shout for students (and lecturers) unwinding after their studies.

HALLAMSHIRE HOUSE:

This Thornbridge Brewery-owned pub is located in Crookesmoor and boasts below pub level beer garden which is known to host DJ sets and street food vendors during the summer months.

THE WELLINGTON:

An unapologetically old school Shalesmoor pub, with a studendous selection of Real Ale to sup, The Wellington has a small but perfectly formed suntrap around the back.

HYMN TO NINKASI:

In the uber-trendy Little Kelham development, you’ll find a welcoming craft beer haven with seating outside to bask in the warm weather. Top tip: sharpen the appetite with a few beers and head to Domo next-door for some cracking Italian food.

DOG DO THEIR BIT

After raising an amazing amount of both money and food donations during the Coronation weekend, popular Trippet Lane freehouse The Dog & Partridge have announced that they will continue as a permanent donation bank for S6 Food Bank and Shelter charity. Simply pop in, drop off your donation and, if you’d so fancy, enjoy a drink at one of the city centre’s friendliest pubs (they do a fantastic pint of Guinness).

@dogandpartridgesheffield

A ROSY REOPENING

Walkley residents are excited to see the return of Rose House Pub, situated on South Road, following months of closure. After a major refurbishment and the appointment of a new landlady, the venue reopened its doors on 25th May, with new TVs (showing live sports) seating and toilets. rosehousesheffield.co.uk

SALVATION AT LAST?

After more than 20 years left derelict, an exciting project could give a second life to The Salvation Army Citadel beside John Lewis on Burgess Street. The plan is to turn the old building into a leisure centre, including a pool, sauna, spa, hot tubs, cafe-bar and steam room, among other amenities. Sheffield Council is currently evaluating the proposal.

WING AND A PRAYER

Wingin’ It, the popular chicken wing connoisseurs located in Sheffield Plate (Orchard Square) are moving location to South Road in Walkley. Another great foodie addition to the area, knocking up a wide selection of succulent wings, they opened their doors in the same week as the Rose House Pub.

@wingingitsheff

HOUSE PARTY

Following weeks of graft, The Beer House - Sheffield’s first micropub and a must-visit for Eclessall Road pub crawls - will open its newest location on Langsett Road next to Hillsborough Interchange. We’ll raise a pint to that!

@thebeerhousesheffield

FOOD & DRINK: REVIEW

CUBANA

For over 20 years now, Cubana has been at the top of the tapas game in Sheffield – and for good reason, too. From the moment you step inside the Leopold Square venue, the vibrant setting and warm hospitality transports you into the heart of Havana (or as close as you’re realistically going to get in South Yorkshire).

Exposed visited for a business lunch last month, considering the well-established venue a safe bet for both quality and atmosphere. Thankfully, we felt justified on both counts as we sank into the ambience and browsed their set tapas menu (two dishes for £11.95 or £5 off any set menu until 6pm, Mon-Fri).

One of the standout dishes I couldn’t get enough of was the ‘Pollo y Chorizo.’ The succulent chicken breast pieces and Spanish chorizo sausage were expertly cooked in a creamy tomato and paprika sauce. The sauce had a rich and velvety texture, complementing the tender chicken and adding a hint of smokiness from the chorizo. The dish was elevated by the addition of sliced red peppers, providing a burst of freshness and a colorful touch.

Another highlight was the renowned ‘Albóndigas’, Cubana’s famous meatballs made with fresh minced beef and coriander, served in a tantalizing tomato sauce. The meatballs were incredibly tender and flavourful, with a perfect balance of herbs and spices.

For seafood lovers, the ‘Gambas Pil Pil’ is an absolute must-try. The pan-fried tiger prawns were perfectly cooked and delicately flavoured with garlic and a touch of chili adding a delightful kick to the dish. Every bite was a burst of succulence and the prawns melted in my mouth.

The ‘Pincho de Pollo’ was another favourite. The grilled chicken breast pieces were marinated with garlic, cumin and paprika and served skewered, resulting in a medley of aromatic flavours and not too heavy on the stomach. The perfect lunchtime treat!

Finally, the ‘Chorizo y Huevo CON Patatas’ provided a comforting and indulgent experience. The crispy potatoes sautéed with chorizo were a perfect match for the free-range egg on top, with the richness of the egg beautifully complementing the smoky chorizo and the crispy potatoes adding a satisfying crunch.

20 years strong and showing no sign of slowing down, Cubana continues to reign supreme when it comes to authentic tapas in an unbeatable setting.

MUSIC: HARRI LARKIN

The summer’s shaping up nicely for genreblending Sheffield indie-funk-pop-punk pioneers Harri Larkin. Following the release of their latest earworm, ‘Dopamine’, lead singer Harri popped by for a natter about new music, changing influences and a busy upcoming festival season.

Hello! How are Harri Larkin getting on?

Really good, thanks! New doors have opened for us lately, and we’ve decided to create a brand new ‘Harri Larkin Unplugged’ set alongside the full band to keep us entertained.

Oscar has traded in his bass for an acoustic guitar and my girlfriend, Abi, has started singing with us too. Now when we do a headline we combine both full band and unplugged sets to make it more of a show. The response has been amazing.

The new track ‘Dopamine’ came out on 26th May. What can you tell us about it and why did you choose this as your first release of 2023?

I wrote ‘Dopamine’ at a key point in my musical development. I was living in Bristol and there was a bunch of avant-garde jazz-inspired artists around me.

At the same time I was doing my own thing and heavily into 90s grunge bands like Hole and obviously Nirvana, Soundgarden…  I can hear both of those influences very clearly when I listen to ‘Dopamine’.

On that note, how would you sum up the Harri Larkin sound at the minute? It's clearly a

mix but what sort of influences inform it?

It’s always changing. If you listen to ‘Bonfire Toffee’ you would say indie, put on ‘Sugar Rush’ and you would say pop/funk. ‘Pennywise’ I’ve had people describe as country punk, so I’ve realised it’s best to say we are an “alternative” band because as soon as people think they understand what’s coming I’ll throw a curveball.

How does this single fit into the larger narrative or concept of an upcoming EP, if you have one in the works?

The narrative of our music is that we will continually bend and blend genres to make songs that are out of the ordinary. No two singles will vibe the same and even though this is a heavier sound than our previous releases we could literally take this band in any direction.

How do you feel your sound has evolved or grown since your debut album Beach City? I have definitely matured in my writing, I assume it’s because I am a fundamentally better musician than when I was writing Beach City. Having D and Oscar on the last two recordings has changed the songs, for sure. Oscar decided

the final chorus in ‘Dopamine’ needed a Latin groove – and that’s very Oscar! He did it and it’s on the record. All three of us have very strong musical personalities which leads to the constant evolution of our sound.

Congrats on winning the Tramlines Apply to Play competition earlier this month. How much does this mean to you as a band?

THANK YOU! It’s such a huge deal. We don’t claim to sell loads of tickets or have thousands of followers and streams, so for these massive things to keep happening to us is a bit unheard of.

The only reason we are here is because people can see that we have something a bit different and they see the potential. The fact we were put forward by our local BBC Introducing show and then picked by John Kennedy

himself is really special.

Looking ahead, what can fans anticipate from your band in the near future? Are there any other exciting projects or collaborations on the horizon? We will keep the tunes coming, that’s for sure, and I can confirm we have a massive summer anthem on the way that will be out in time for festival season. I have indeed finished recording a collaboration with an incredibly talented local artist, which we cannot wait to share with you when the time comes.

People can catch us this summer playing Long Division, 110 Above, OTHR, Tramlines, Truck and Victorious Festival.

Oh yeah, and I built us a website find everything you need to know – gig dates, tickets, music, releases, all at www. harrilarkin.com.

@harri_larkin

MY LIFE IN MUSIC MICKEY NOMINONO

THE FIRST RECORD I BOUGHT

I had a load of records knocking around the house all through my childhood. I think the first one I bought was Busted’s debut album, bought on CD from Woolworths when I was a nipper. It had some belters on there; pick‘n’mix would be brimming and ‘Year 3000’ blasting on the car ride home.

MY FIRST GIG

I went to Beautiful Days Festival. I can’t even remember who played, if I’m honest. Good vibe though, down in Devon.

THE FIRST SONG I PERFORMED

I first started making music towards the backend of secondary school. The first song I performed was likely some scratchy indie tune I’d written when I was 16 at a school concert. Some of that is still floating around on the internet, I’m sure...

A SONG I WISH I’D WRITTEN 'Lonely For You Baby' by Sam Dees. Imagine being able to perform that live, knowing it was your work. Being able to pour yourself into a song like that is amazing.

I FIRST FELL IN LOVE WITH MUSIC WHEN

Music’s been around me my whole life. I’d fall asleep and wake up hearing whatever my old man was mixing through my bedroom floor when I was a kid. I had no choice but to love it. I can remember a point when I started taking ownership of what I listened to, and Earl Sweatshirt’s album Doris made me wanna make music. It was prescribed to me by a dear friend and I listened to it to death.

ONE SONG I CAN’T GET

MUSIC’S BEEN AROUND ME MY WHOLE LIFE. I’D FALL ASLEEP AND WAKE UP HEARING WHATEVER MY OLD MAN WAS MIXING THROUGH MY BEDROOM FLOOR WHEN I WAS A KID

OUT OF MY HEAD AT THE MOMENT

'Float On' by The Floaters – an absolute epic. It’s gotta be the 11-minute version though; you need the full instrumental to

warm up for the vocals. Once you’ve heard Charles’ falsetto in the verse it’ll soundtrack the rest of your life.

A SONG THAT REMINDS ME OF A SPECIFIC PLACE AND TIME

‘Bum Bum Tam Tam’ by MC Fioti. It takes me back to running parties and DJing with the PRJKTS cru in Bristol. Someone would always chuck this into their set – usually me and Biggie. We loved it, even if the rest of the room didn’t...

Sheffield-based artist Mickey Nominono releases his fourth single ‘Hot and Cold’ on 9 June. It’s a track about the kind of neuro-divergence that has you flicking back and forth from being on top of the world to locked in a dark room alone, backed by a driving electronic punk beat, distorted guitar lines and overwhelming synth breakdowns. All of this is gelled together by Nomimono’s trademark wit, visceral lyrics and cutting delivery. Listen at mickeynomimono.com.

With a brand new single dropping this month, we asked up-and-coming Sheffbased DIY artist to take us on a musical stroll down memory lane...

BEFORE BREAKFAST @ THE UPPER CHAPEL

Given that Before Breakfast have been so synonymous with the inclusive and progressive side of Sheffield’s music scene for a while now, it’s perhaps a surprise that their first album, I Could Be Asleep If It Weren’t For You, was only released last year.

Never a band to rest on their laurels, though, just a year on from their first full-length effort comes a brand spanking new EP, Absorbed, and it’s for the launch of this new offering that we find ourselves amongst the pews in the beatified surrounds of Norfolk Street’s Upper Chapel.

I say we, as tonight for the first time I’m joined at an evening gig by my daughters (aged 8 and 6). Already massive BB (and Gina) fans, I’m often treated to renditions of Wreck or Buddleia as they belt them out from their bedroom; they are super psyched to see it live.

More from them later though. First, it’s worth mentioning tonight’s support. Sadly, we didn’t arrive in time to see Amy May Ellis (parents will relate), but we were lucky enough to catch the super-talented Sheffield Music School and Tracks graduate, Harris.

Asked to perform by Before Breakfast after they were introduced to the 16-year-old Sheffielder’s prodigious talent while tutoring him at the Sheffield Music School, Harris positively revelled in the opportunity, lifting the roof (spire?) off the Chapel. His short, and often vulnerable solo set was a joy. One to keep an eye on, for sure.

Following the wide-eyed innocence of Harris’ performance, hush fills the chapel as we await the entrance of Before Breakfast. Keeping it local, they take to the stage wearing coordinated smock dresses, created especially for the band by Sheffieldbased designer Nyoo.

Live BB member and singer-songwriter in her own right, Molly Clark (keyboards), makes her way up to the raised pulpit, while Emily Stancer (guitar), fellow live member and talented designer (she made the duck badges on sale at the merch stand), joins BB founders Gina Walters (lead vocals) and Lucy Revis (cello) on the stage below.

We all wait. The tension builds… nothing happens. A few more anxious stabs at the synth… “Well, that was going to be so cool!” says Gina, feigning exasperation. At Emily’s encouragement, they make their way off the stage to ‘have another go.’

Synth issues resolved, back out they come to a rapturously supportive welcome, and at the second attempt they burst into a beautiful rendition of Chosen, taken from the new EP. The vulnerable lyrics and glorious harmonies were worth the wait.

Following the show we head back out into the rain and all that’s left is to give the final word to my, by this point, pretty tired eight-year-old: “It was amazing, dad!”, and I think that about sums it up.

WORDS: ASH BIRCH PHOTOGRAPHY: CLAUDIA ROSE

REVIEW

Get Together festival returned to Sheffield on a sun-soaked Saturday afternoon in May, this time with an all-new home. After two hugely successful years at the students’ union, the festival spread its wings to Kelham Island for an all-dayer that boasted some of the best up-and-coming bands from around the country, as well as a headline set from noughties indie darlings Friendly Fires. Sounds spot on, right? Exposed web editor Ash Birch headed down to find out…

Last year’s edition of Get Together was one of my personal highlights of a packed Sheffield summer festival season. The likes of Confidence Man, Squid and The Blinders tore up the Octagon and Foundry stages, so, when the announcement came that for their third instalment they would be changing things up and heading down to Kelham Island, I was more than a little intrigued to see how it would work.

This had always been the plan, apparently, as taking it to Kelham affords them more scope to host more stages, and therefore put on more acts. It also gives organisers the opportunity to increase the line-up of food vendors with a sort of a mini-Peddler, as well as allowing artist Corbin Shaw to run wild, plastering witty and poignant slogans all over the area.

How did it work, then? Well, the main stage was in Peddler’s warehouse, which was also where wristband collection could be found. The wristbands

got you into the six participating venues: Peddler, Yellow Arch, The Antiques Emporium (next door to Yellow Arch), Alder, Neepsend Social Club and Heist. A bumper cast of bands were billed across the six stages, and all you were left to do was figure out an itinerary and make the short trips between each venue to catch your faves or, as was often the case for me, discover something new.

It’s worth noting that, with the move, there seems to be more of a focus on up-and-coming acts and fewer household names (except for maybe Friendly Fires and CMAT) are on the line-up, which, in its own way, made it even more exciting. There were a lot of bands on the line-up that I would be seeing for the first time, and it will be interesting to see if this continues in the coming years.

The union-defying Mickey Callisto kicked off proceedings at 1pm with his first of a few shows throughout the day. Unfortunately, we didn’t quite make it in time for this one, but I’m reliably informed he

opened the show ‘like it was Live Aid ‘85’, despite the early start! Missing him the first time around wasn’t too much of a disaster, as the sky-blue boiler suited singer was seemingly everywhere all day, and even made a cameo in the set of the first act I did manage to catch, Anthony Szmierek.

Callisto added backing vocals to Szmierek’s indie/ hip-hop closer, a cover of Sugababes’ ‘Overload’. Prior to Callisto’s appearance, Antony primed the early-comers with a Mike Skinner-tinged set of originals, including standout track ‘Hitchhikers Guide to the Fallacy’.

Following Anthony, it was a short hop to Yellow Arch for Butch Kassidy. The West Ealing five-piece are a far cry from indie hip-hop! Leaning more on metal acts for their epic sound, they blast out massive walls of distortion, utilising a mastery of minimalism and dynamics Stuart Braithwaite would be proud to tuck under his kilt for safe keeping.

Next up, back to Peddler for H. Hawkline and a lovely looking tape deck and standout pair of red socks, before heading to Neepsend Social for one of my highlights of the day, Drastic Automatic. A Sheffield-three piece who I’m ashamed to say weren’t on my radar.

A deafeningly chaotic punk set sees lead singer and guitarist Sean bleeding from his fingers all over the scratch plate of a borrowed Telecaster (he broke his in the first song), before a crowd-pleasing cover of Basement Jaxx’s ‘Where’s Your Head At’ lifts the corrugated roof off the faux working men’s club. They’re playing Sidney and Matilda on 24th June. Hard recommend.

It’s then back to Yellow Arch for KEG, the latest post-punk ‘next big thing’ in the vein of Yard Act, but this time with brass. The kids at the front go nuts for the angular riffs and it’s obvious why the Brighton sevenpiece are so heavily tipped.

At this point it was time to think about refuelling with some dancing carbs, and with more vendors than Mickey Callisto

can fit sets into the day, we’re spoilt for choice. The Peddler courtyard hosts New Yorkshire Pizza, banging bratwurst from Get Wurst, Turksish flavours from Mor-Mor and Sri Lankan street food from Colombo, as well as vegan ice cream (perfect for a Sunny Sheff day) from Lick.

Over the road at Alder, V or V’s Grillhouse has set up camp in the courtyard and you’ve got Slap and Pickle and Gravy Train slinging their menus in their respective homes of Heist and Neepsend Social. After scranning the jackfruit kottu from Colombo and a jaffa cake ice cream from Lick, it’s over to Heist for Divorce. The stage at Heist has been set up so that bands are playing in front of the stills and it makes an impressively shiny backdrop for the alt-country grunge of Divorce.

Speaking of alt country, next up was main support CMAT and undoubtedly the earworm of the day. Firstly, performancewise CMAT absolutely stole the show. The Irish singersongwriter is eminently watchable, very funny and just a whole lot of fun.

Following CMAT, we finished with Sister Wives in Alder, which was a fitting way to close out what had been an incredibly successful day for gig-goers and the festival’s organisers. Kelham was buzzing and needs this sort of event to continue to make the area thrive. Grafters bar, who hosted the pop-up record shop and acoustic sets through the day, told us they’d had a record day in terms of takings, and that can only help the area in what are still difficult circumstances post-pandemic. We can’t wait to see how Get Together evolves again next year.

PHOTOS BY JACOB FLANNERY & LINDSEY MELBOURNE

the tuesday club

tuesday 6th june

summer carnival: flowdan|conducta

aziza|k.o.g|franz von

£13/15, Doors 4:00pm, 18+

tuesday 13 june 2023

squid

‘o monolith’ album launch

£14.50, Doors 7:00pm

wednesday 14 june 2023

mcfly album launch show

£15.50, Doors 7:30pm

saturday 1 july 2023

mystery jets

£17, Doors 7:30pm

thursday 5 oct 2023 pigs pigs pigs pigs pigs pigs pigs

£17.50, Doors 7:30pm

friday 6 oct 2023

nation of language

£20, Doors 7:30pm

saturday 21 oct 2023

the bluetones

£25, Doors 6:30pm

wednesday 25 oct 2023

the dust coda

£14, Doors 7:00pm

friday 27 oct 2023 from the jam

“all mod cons”

£32.50, Doors 7:00pm

friday 3 nov 2023

flash & the darkniss

£20, Doors 7pm

friday 10 nov 2023

peace

£17.50, Doors 7:00pm

saturday 11 nov 2023

untold orchestra presents a history of beyonce

£12/£14, Doors 7:00pm

saturday 18 nov 2023

the pigeon Detectives

£20, Doors 6:30pm

sunday 19 nov 2023

skerryvore

£24.00, Doors 7:00pm

saturday 25 nov 2023

smoove & turrell + solar love society

£18, Doors 7:00pm

thursday 30 nov 2023

starsailor

£24.50, Doors 7:00pm

all shows open to the public (14+ unless stated otherwise) tickets available from foundrysu.com box office: 0114 222 8777

friday 1 dec 2023 the view

£24.00, Doors 6:30pm

saturday 2 dec 2023

definitely oasis vs the complete stone roses

£17.50, Doors 7pm

saturday 16 dec 2023

slade

£32.50, Doors 7:00pm

foundry, sheffield students’ union western bank, s10 2tg foundrysu.com - foundry@sheffield.ac.uk

@foundrysheffield

scan for tickets

Ahead of their scheduled landing at Pax in the Park next month, we caught up with Zpor, front-creature of interplanetary cosmic dross purveyors HENGE, to discuss the band’s latest sonic transmissions and what we earthlings can expect from their Sheffield visit.

Hello Zpor! How are you doing today?

Greetings human. I feel especially buoyant today. For today is the day we release a new album on your planet: Alpha Test 4.

Your music combines elements of various genres, including rock, electronica and psychedelia. How do you approach blending these different styles to create a unique HENGE sound?

Oh, dear human, we bring you music from other worlds. Thus, any similarities to the Earth genres that you mention is merely coincidental.

Your new album, Alpha Test 4, is out now. What sets this record apart from other albums released across the galaxies? This record is a unique interplanetary collaboration. The group known as HENGE is comprised of four lifeforms, each creature is of a different species with their own particular background and creative impulse. I am from Agricular in Cosmos Redshift 7. From a young age I was swaddled in the musical traditions of my people; surrounded by the ancient Agriculan artform we call ‘Cosmic Dross’. Another band member, Brother Goo, is from Venus. He is the lone survivor of a catastrophic climate apocalypse on his planet and we found that violent bass frequencies had a therapeutic effect on his nervous system. Our drummer, Nom, is from Xylanthia in the Sirius Star System. He is primarily a water-dwelling creature; a many-tentacled being, whose

amphibious rhythms are known to incite much dancing. The newest member of our crew is a human being known as Grok. His aptitude for wild synthesis is a huge asset to our mission. Though many interplanetary musical collaborations exist across the galaxy, we are unaware of any other records that have been made with this particular combination of species.

How do you approach the songwriting process as a band? Do you have any specific rituals, methods or cosmic technologies you employ?

Yes, our method is to play. When I say ‘play’ I refer to the following definition:

“Play – verb: to employ oneself in diversion, amusement or recreation.”

Or to put it another way – fun.

How do you handle creative differences or conflicts within the band? Are there any strategies you employ to maintain a harmonious working dynamic?

Actually, though it has never occurred to me before, we have never had any musical conflict within the band. We are so enamoured with each other’s creative suggestions that any creative differences are a source of wonder rather than conflict. And, now that we have spent seven years and made multiple records together, our four minds are as one harmonious, utterly synchronised multi-mind.

You’ll be joining our friends at Pax in the Park for a headline show. For those who’ve not

witnessed a HENGE show in the flesh, how would you describe it?

A HENGE sonic transmission is unlike any conventional musical performance that exists on Earth. One key difference is that we use a mixture of telepathic waves and sound waves at our gatherings. These two different wave types coalesce together in a spiral pattern (similar in appearance to the double helix of DNA). Once absorbed, this has the effect of stimulating euphoria in the human central nervous system. In this way, we intend to catalyse joy in the hearts of the citizens of Sheffield on 21st July.

Looking ahead, what are your long-term goals and aspirations for HENGE?

We have observed that here on Earth, seriousness levels have reached a dangerous peak. This is accompanied by an epidemic of sadness which is spreading at an alarming rate. And so, our mission is to reach as many humans as possible with our sonic joy-beams. These therapeutic soundwaves are known to provide lasting relief from the negative impact of seriousness.

HENGE will perform live at Pax in the Park which takes place 21st-23rd July at Heeley People’s Park. The festival’s organisers are attempting to raise £10k towards keeping the event free for all and, if you are able, you can chip in to help get them there by visiting gofundme.com/f/ freepaxpark.

COMEDY: A STAND-UP GUY!

A STAND-UP GUY

For this month’s comedy section, we turn the tables and put your regular columnist, Dan Inniss, under the spotlight to give us the lowdown on all things stand-up.

Have you always been a comedian at heart?

I’ve always loved to make people laugh, but going into comedy wasn’t at the forefront of my mind. That only came about around six years ago, when a mate of mine said, “You think you’re funny, Daniel, so why don’t you do something?”

Not long after that I entered a charity comedy school, raising money for Cancer Research, where you had eight weeks of training with a professional comic and then did a fiveminute routine in front of 190 people. It went that well that I ended up doing 12 minutes. I carried on doing some open mics, started getting booked around Sheffield, and here we are…

Indeed. How would you describe your comedy? I’m big on observational humour. That’s always worked for me. I’ll note things down on the go, stuff that I see and think I can work with. I’m big on working with the crowd, engaging with the audience –especially if someone’s being a bit of knob! That can be a bit of a gift for a comedian. But, to be honest, Sheffield has very comedy-savvy audiences who are a joy to perform to, so we don’t many people being genuinely disrespectful.

Did you have many influences growing up in terms of developing your sense of

humour?

I think there’s an element of having an innate enjoyment of making people laugh, which I think I’ve always had, but my mum and dad are and were both funny. Being first generation West Indians, they had banter together in the house that I wish I would’ve recorded because it was so funny. So I think that had an impact and you begin to pick up on those cues.

Are there any lines that you won’t cross with your comedy?

I talk with comedians about this all the time. You know, is there a line? Are there things you just can’t say. For me, personally, I do have a line: I don’t talk about illnesses, especially cancer. I do know comedians that have done, and I don’t know – maybe they’ve done it for cathartic reasons? Maybe making a joke out of it helps. Some comedians use dark humour for educational and therapeutical reasons, and some comedians would argue that you’re coming to an 18+ comedy night, so they can say what they like. But yeah, I’m personally not big on dark humour, but that wouldn’t stop me booking a comedian who uses dark humour, because it’s important that we reflect a broad number of styles at our nights.

Between yourself and your friend and fellow comic, Oli Clarke, you’ve built up a loyal following at the regular comedy nights you’ve both

put on around Sheffield. How popular is Sheffield as a live comedy city right now? The comedy scene in this city is amazing. I genuinely feel like we’ve usurped the likes of Leeds and Liverpool – which I’ve always considered the Mecca of live comedy – and I say this because I know we regularly have Liverpudlian comics coming to Sheffield to play. Our audiences here are genuinely fantastic, always up for coming out for a laugh, and the quality of the nights – whether it’s at Hagglers Corner, Yellow Arch, Picture House, Ship Inn, Indie-Go, Toolmakers or The Yorkshireman – are always consistent. I’d recommend to anyone reading this to pop down and see what the fuss is about!

HAVE A LAUGH: FREE COMEDY NIGHTS YOU NEED TRY!

THE SHIP INN (1ST MONDAY OF THE MONTH)

HAGGLERS CORNER (1ST WEDS)

PICTURE HOUSE SOCIAL (2ND MON)

THE YORKSHIREMAN (1ST THURS)

YELLOW ARCH (3RD THURS)

INDIE-GO (LAST THURS)

TOOLMAKERS (LAST FRI)

THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN

Last month, the trailer for the much-anticipated next instalment of Sheffield classic ‘The Full Monty’ has officially dropped, along with a confirmed release date for the new original series.

The original 1997 film, set against the backdrop of Sheffield’s struggling steel industry, captured the resilience, humour and spirit of its working-class community. The story of six unemployed men forming a male strip group not only entertained audiences worldwide but also shed light on the social and economic challenges faced by the city during that time. The film highlighted Sheffield’s distinct charm, showcased some of its landmarks and brought global attention to its culture of innovation and perseverance.

The first two episodes will premiere in an invite-only showing at the Showroom Cinema this month, before the full series becomes available on Disney+ from 14th June.

Taking place 25 years after the original British smash hit, the eight-parter returns to Sheffield and follows the same band of brothers as they navigate society’s crumbling healthcare, education and employment sectors.

From Gleadless Valley to Meadowhall, the show will feature many iconic locations, with many making an appearance in the trailer, as the gang embark on new adventures and attempt to carry on with their lives in a post-industrial Steel City.  It will highlight how the world of these workingclass heroes has changed in the intervening decades.

Among the lead cast reprising their fan-favourite roles are Robert Carlyle as Gaz, Mark Addy as Dave, Lesley Sharp as Jean, Hugo Speer as Guy, Paul Barber as Horse, Steve Huison as

Lomper,

The legacy gang will be joined by some new faces, most notably from the trailer Talitha Wing who plays Destiny, Gaz’s (Robert Carlyle) estranged teenage daughter, with their relationship appearing to be a focal point for the new series.

As well as the fan-favourite characters making their return, the TV reboot is also written by Simon Beaufoy, who penned the original BAFTA-winning movie.

Simon said of working on the series: “It has been one of the great joys of my writing career to reunite this eccentric, irrepressible family of Sheffield men and women and see how 25 years, 7 Prime Ministers, and 100 broken political promises have affected their lives.”

Keep an eye on the next issue of Exposed Mag, where we’ll have some exclusive content from the premiere from first episode reviews to interviews with the cast.

Wim Snape as Nathan and Tom Wilkinson as Gerald.

GOING THE FULL MONTY

Exposed’s film writer Cal Reid reflects on the legacy of Sheffield’s most famous cinematic export.

THE NAKED TRUTH: 5 THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT THE FULL MONTY

With the imminent arrival of Disney’s new series, what better time could there be to look back on one of the greatest British comedies of all time?

At its heart, The Full Monty is a film about traditional masculinity in crisis, of being cast adrift in a world changed almost overnight and finding purpose again by reinvention. What appeals to me personally is that it’s a film wholly concerned with sensitive male issues such as repressed homosexuality, male suicide and, perhaps most significantly, poor body image. All these themes link in some way back to the umbrella issue of surviving in a post-Thatcher Sheffield, and whilst certain themes have been explored very thoroughly before and after Monty, others such as male suicide and negative body image are not nearly represented enough for men in cinema, or at least not with the same degree of frankness.

The whole concept of the

group going nude on stage is a representation of how the traditional working-class man would have to change and embrace something entirely contradictory with entrenched norms and values to survive in the modern world. Given how drastically societal norms have changed since 1997, it will be interesting to see how the characters are now functioning in 2023.

Most will remember moments such as the Donna Summer dance in the dole queue, or the auditions on the factory floor, but the scenes which stand out in my mind are those that involve comedic bonding between the group, my favourite sequence being the football match near Parkwood Springs with the panoramic Sheffield skyline in the background.

More than two decades on and The Full Monty remains a sharp, witty, and poignant comedydrama.

1: Apparently some cinemagoers in the US struggled with the film’s accents so much that some were handed handy translation sheets for the Sheffield twang.

2: It was a huge hit over here though, raking in a massive £52 million at the British Box Office.

3: The original working title was “Eggs, Beans and Chippendales” – not quite so catchy!

4: The famous final strip scene was filmed at Shiregreen WMC, which is now derelict despite repeated attempts to save the building.

5: … And yes, it has been confirmed by the actors that they did indeed go the ‘Full Monty’ in front of 400+ extras and film crew.

COMING SOON…

THE FLASH

The much-anticipated crossover adventure featuring Ben Affleck’s last go at Batman, the return of Michael Keaton’s Dark Knight and a new interpretation of Supergirl.

THE BOOGEYMAN

Based on a short story by Stephen King, The Boogeyman follows a grief-stricken family who must do battle with a terrifying entity that has infiltrated their home.

TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS

Following on from Bumblebee and inspired by the Beast Wars storylines, this latest instalment will also see the arrival of the planet-eating Unicron.

HOW TO BLOW UP A PIPELINE

A terrific nail-biting environmentalist thriller from director Daniel Goldhaber, How to Blow Up a Pipeline follows a group of saboteurs drawn together from various walks of life, who work together to disrupt the pipeline of unnamed oil corporation. The film depicts the tense progress of their operation, interspersed with flashbacks which reveal the central characters’ motivations.

Based on a non-fiction book of the same name by Andreas Malm, the film takes stylistic inspiration from thrillers of the late 1970s and ‘80s. Nowhere is this more evident than in its astonishing soundtrack by Gavin Brivik. Politically, it has the cynical air of a postWatergate thriller, and whilst it leans towards supporting sabotage as a necessary means of protesting, it does so intelligently whilst considering the negative ramifications of such actions.

This is explored largely through the characters’ backstories. Intentional or not, the film presents a very nuanced depiction of its activists. Certain characters have perfectly legitimate reasons for their actions, whilst others have far more dubious or downright selfindulgent motivations. Theo, terminally ill because of pollution from a nearby oil refinery in her hometown, is aided by her partner Alisha to engage in the ‘project’ as it is frequently described. Another group member, Logan,

is merely a rich kid gone off the rails with his girlfriend Rowen in tow. These two especially are more concerned with the rebellious thrill of the movement than having any clear ideological drive. The scowling bomb expert Michael comes across as an unhinged fringe figure, who just happens to have chosen the oil industry as his nemesis, but in different circumstances would almost certainly find something else to blow up. There’s a particularly telling moment where he and Dwayne, another character who has justified grievances with the oil industry, are alone and Dwayne swiftly and bluntly ends Michael’s attempt at conversation. Xochitl, a lifelong friend of Theo’s, seems more concerned with being the face of a movement. Alisha at one point demeans Xochitl’s involvement, putting it down to transparent superciliousness after being at college for a year.

The film is commendably critical of activist movements that accomplish nothing beyond selfindulgent videos and leaflet distributing, which essentially holds them accountable as being part of the problem rather than the solution. Even if you don’t agree with sabotage as an appropriate means of activism, the film argues convincingly as to why individuals would be driven to it.

A fantastic thriller that matches superb tension with incredible depth. 5/5

SHOW YOUR PRIDE!

We’ve reached the sunny month of June, which means one thing … Pride! And while we are yet to see a return of the main Pride festival to the city, it is still going to be a busy month. At the time of writing, quite a few events are confirming last-minute details, so do keep an eye on the Sheffield LGBT+ events page on Facebook (www. facebook.com/sheffieldlgbtevents) for updates as they are announced. Theatre Deli will be hosting a special screening of the film Pride on Wed 14 Jun, followed by a guided discussion by the organisers. Based on a true story, it depicts a group of lesbian and gay activists who raised money to help families affected by the British miners’ strike in 1984, at the outset of what would become the Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners campaign. And there is no shortage of queer films this month as DocFest (Wed 14 – Mon 19 Jun) returns for its 30th edition championing and presenting the breadth of documentary form –film, television, immersive and art. The LGBTQ+

offerings within this year’s festival lineup include A South Asian Queer Pamphlet, an interactive web installation in which each participant creates a unique experience based on letters chosen from a theory-linked queer alphabet; All The Flowers – a tender portrait of Tabaco y Ron, a small brothel in a Bogotá neighbourhood that’s home to many of the city’s trans sex workers; Anhell69 – a genre-busting, transgressive and kaleidoscopic musing on the lives and deaths of a group of queer Colombian twentysomethings; Dalton’s Dream – a moving portrait of Dalton Harris, the final winner of The X Factor UK, as he navigates harassment over his sexuality and representing his home country; Every Body, a heartfelt and urgent call for equality focussing on the lives of three intersex people; and Transition, a film following a genderqueer filmmaker as he navigates life and work as a trans man in Afghanistan. And if that’s not enough queer film for you, then we also have Queer East Presents: Lotus

WE’VE REACHED THE SUNNY MONTH OF JUNE, WHICH MEANS ONE THING … PRIDE!

Sports Club (Wed 21 Jun) showing as part of this year’s Migration Matters Festival, an inspiring coming-of-age documentary about Leak, a teenage trans man who plays football in the under-21s women’s team of Kampong Chhnang.

SAYiT will be hosting their Pride Month Talk: Ways to Be a Better LGBTQ+ Ally on Wed 21 Jun, before also launching their new Working with LGBTQ+ Young People Forum on Mon 12 Jun – a bi-monthly online session for professionals supporting LGBTQ+ young people to gain awareness of current issues affecting LGBTQ+ communities. If you work with or representing LGBTQ+ groups or individuals, you can also head to the Sheffield LGBT+ Multi Agency Network (Wed 7 Jun) co-hosted by SAYiT and LGBT Sheffield: a space where you can network with others in the sector, provide a shared voice on issues affecting our communities and work together to organise joint activities and events.

Andro and Eve are back this month with their Pride edition of The Kingdom Come (Thu 29 Jun) at Crookes Social Club, their drag king cabaret hosted by Richard Energy with some of the UK’s hottest drag talent including Wesley Dykes, Shardeazy Afrodesiak, Prinx Silver and Unknown Amazon! They will also be teaming up once more with Ghetto Fabulous for their Feeling Fabulous Workshop (Tue 20 Jun) at The Montgomery, where through the exploration of queer movement you will learn to werk a runway, whether you sissy that walk or turn out the trade! This session is designed to build the confidence and skills of members of the LGBTQ+ community new to dance and is open to anyone identifying as LGBTQ+.

Emma Maezin is back with A Maezin Pride (Fri 30 Jun) – a camp celebration of Pride with your favourite local drag queen, Emma Maezin, and Pride circuit extraordinaire Smashby, plus one more camp co-star to be announced. You can also catch Emma at Dragoke Thursdays every week at Maggie Mays, Drag Karaoke (Fri 9/Sat 17 Jun) at the Ball Inn, Drag Bingo (Wed 14 Jun) and Bottomless Brunch (Sat 25 Jun) at Revolucion de Cuba and Drag Bingo (Wed 21 Jun) at Hagglers Corner.

If that’s not enough drag for you then, as always, we have plenty of drag action at Malin Bridge Inn, whose lineup this month includes Fireball Friday (Fri 9 Jun) and Sassy Saturday (Sat 10 Jun) with DJ Brooke, The Electric Blue Show (Sat 17 Jun) and Tanya Minge’s Drag Queen Bingo (Fri 23 Jun). And last but by no means least, there’s Grapefruit (Sat 3 Jun) are back at Sheffield Student’s Union for their fruity finale of the year celebrating all things queer with an inclusive, friendly night filled with good vibes. Expect everything from dance, chart, queer anthems and disco, the music that keeps you dancing all night long. Also expect lots of loud, proud décor as they transform the floors of Foundry into their own Grapefruit Disco.

That’s your lot for this month. Until next time, love and Pride!

LGBTQ+

JUNE EVENTS

SAYiT

Wed 7 Jun: LGBT+ Multi Agency

Mon 12 Jun: Working with LGBTQ+

Young People Forum

Wed 21 Jun: Ways to be a better LGBTQ+ ally sayit.org.uk

Andro and Eve

Tue 20 Jun: Feeling Fabulous Workshop

The Montgomery

Thu 29 Jun: The Kingdom Come #7 Crookes Social Club androandeve.com

Malin Bridge Inn

Fri 9 Jun: Fireball Friday

Sat 10 Jun: Sassy Saturday

Sat 17 Jun: The Electric Blue Show

Fri 23 Jun: Tanya Minge’s Bingo facebook.com/MalinBridgeInnPage

Emma Maezin

Thursdays: Dragoke Thursdays

Maggie Mays

Fri 9/Sat 17 Jun: Drag Karaoke

Ball Inn

Wed 14 Jun: Drag Bingo

Revolucion de Cuba

Wed 21 Jun: Drag Bingo

Hagglers Corner Sun 25 Jun: Bottomless Brunch Revolucion de Cuba

Fri 30 Jun: A Maezin Pride Yorkshireman facebook.com/emmamaezin

Film

Wed 14 – Mon 19 Jun DocFest Multiple venues sheffdocfest.com

Wed 14 Jun: Pride Screening Theatre Deli theatredeli.co.uk

Wed 21 Jun: Lotus Sports Club Showroom

.migrationmattersfestival.co.uk

Club

Sat 3 Jun: Grapefruit Sheffield Students Union foundrysu.com

COMING UP @DELI

harmony. 天⼈合 Dance performance | All ages

I Love You, Mum – I Promise I Won’t Die Performance | 14+

Dementia-Friendly Cinema | Singin' In The Rain Film screening | All ages

The Michael Cretu Trio: An Evening of Balkan and Roma Contemporary Jazz Performance | All ages

Producers Meet Up Networking and support meet | All ages

Baby Comedy Club Comedy | For parents and babies

Manic Performance

MATES Improv Comedy | 16+

Zanetto Opera

Dementia-Friendly Cinema | Summer Holiday Film screening | All ages

Improv @Deli Improv comedy |16+

Producers Meet Up Networking and support meet | All ages

Baby Comedy Club Comedy | For parents and babies

TRY|TRYING|TRIED Dance performance | 12+

Everytime I close my eyes all I see if you Storytelling | 14+

Sheffield Fringe Previews Fringe theatre | Various ages

Find

Charity no. 1121987

CULTURE

THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE @ LYCEUM THEATRE

WORDS: JOSEPH FOOD // PHOTO: BRINKHOFF-MOEGENBURG

Neil Gaiman’s 2013 novel ‘The Ocean at the End of the Lane’ came alive in stunning and often nightmarish style at Sheffield Lyceum last month.

Adapted by Joel Norwood and directed by Katy Rudd, this National Theatre production transports the audience into an enchanting –albeit frequently unsettling – world of magic, fantasy and bloodcurdling monsters in a hugely impressive showcase of stagecraft.

The story begins in straightforward enough fashion: a man returns to his childhood home in Sussex, where he meets the eccentric grandmother of an old friend and in doing so unlocks his recollections as a 12-year-old boy (played by Keir Ogilvy).

While navigating the awkwardness of familial grief following the death of his mother, most notably the tricky relationship with his at-a-loss father and relentlessly taunting sister, the shy and bookish ‘Boy’ is taken under the

wing of mysterious Lettie Hempstock (Milli Hikasa) and her strange family who live on a farm at the end of the lane.

As if the worldly trials and tribulations of early teenage life were not enough for Boy to contend with, his adventures with Lettie lead him into confrontations with dark, interdimensional creatures such as the Flea – a shapeshifting monster who manages to infiltrate the protagonist’s household as new lodger Ursula Monkton (Charlie Brooks), charming then manipulating his father and sister in the process.

The whole thing is a visual feast – from intense, flashing battle scenes soundtracked by Jherke Bischoff’s crunching score to clever use of on-stage illusion and choreography depicting entrapment by evil and, in one particularly immersive scene, the crossing of boundaries into underwater worlds containing the answers to all of life’s mysteries. As you

can imagine, it’s no mean feat to replicate such things on a stage, but it’s all brought together in innovative and mesmeric style.

Such a dynamic show requires a cast on top of their game, and they certainly were. Daniel Cornish plays Boy as an endearing bundle of fevered excitement, downright bewilderment and teenage angst. Millie Hikasa serves up plenty of welcome humorous respite and spades of likeability in her performance as Lettie, while Charlie Brooks is suitably despicable in her depiction of Ursula/the Flea. Away from the frantic action, a good chunk of the emotional pull comes from Trever Fox’s sympathetic portrayal of a weary father juggling financial problems, parenting worries and keeping his own demons from the past at bay.

We left the theatre having been treated to a stunning spectacle exploring the power of childhood memories, the rites of passage we undertake while growing up and the horrors faced – both real and imagined – on our journey to reach adulthood.

5/5

For a full guide to June events at Sheffield Theatres, head to www. sheffieldtheatres.co.uk.

THEATRE DELI ANNOUNCE SUMMER SEASON

Sheffield city centre-based Theatre and arts centre, Theatre Deli, has announced its first season since opening their new venue earlier this year.

The first season from Theatre Deli Sheffield’s new artistic team Daljinder Singh and Miranda Debenham sees the return of the theatre’s renowned range of diverse, alternative performances from artists in Sheffield and beyond.

Ahead of Refugee Week, internationally acclaimed musician Michael Cretu presents an evening of Balkan Roma Contemporary Jazz (16th June). Contemporary dance performances harmony. 天 by Ellandar Productions (2nd-3rd June) and TRY|TRYING|TRIED by Owen & Slater (22nd July) sit alongside improv show MATES: The Improvised ’90s Sitcom (8th July) and thought-provoking theatre I Love You, Mum – I Promise I Won’t Die by Octopus Dream Theatre (7th-9th July).

Theatre Deli’s free artist support initiatives – Producers Meet Up, Open Stage Night and Deli DropIns – will continue on a regular basis throughout the year. Artists should also keep an eye on TheatreDeli’s social media channels, where space in the venue is given away for free each week through Free Space Fridays.

Based on Arley Street close to London Road, the new venue features three rehearsal rooms including a dance studio with a custom-built dance floor and mirrors, a performance space with a capacity of 120, an open area for hot desking, and a bar and cafe. The building is open from 10am-6pm, Monday-Friday and is available for hires, with current upcoming events including acting workshops, conferences, music nights and film screenings.

“This season of work is a great expression of everything Deli stands for –accessible, diverse and exciting performances from both local and national talent,” said Miranda Debenham, Producer for Theatre Deli. “It’s been a joy to talk with the artists and companies represented in this season, and to bring their work to a wider audience here in Sheffield.”

Tickets for Theatre Deli Sheffield’s Summer Season are available to purchase from www.theatredeli.co.uk now.

WE NEED NEW NAMES

PLAYHOUSE // 5-6 JUNE // £13-£15

Based on the novel by the first Black African woman and first Zimbabwean to be Booker Prize-shortlisted, this defiant coming-of-age story is full of exuberance, humour and humanity. When 10-year-old Darling moves from Mugabe’s Zimbabwe to Michigan, the western world she encounters as a teenager is far from the American utopia of her dreams… sheffieldtheatres.co.uk

BIRMINGHAM PASSAGE (MIGRATION MATTERS FESTIVAL)

YELLOW ARCH STUDIOS // 18 JUNE // £0-£10 Birmingham Passage is an interdisciplinary arts production inspired by layered stories of migration linked to the Windrush generation. The project aims to portray the different generations of passage into a place and how migration can bring a new perspective for both sides of the lens, as well as layers of cultural and transcendent energies. migrationmattersfestival.co.uk

MADE IN BRITAIN (INDIA)

THE CRUCIBLE PLAYHOUSE // 20 JUNE // £0-£12 Roo is a deaf Punjabi boy from Birmingham, living in a world that wasn’t made for him. Through pain and laughter, Roo narrates the impact of ableism and racism throughout his childhood and adult life, leading him to confront one key question: “Where do I belong?” A coming-of-age story about discovering your community and the journey that follows. migrationmattersfestival.co.uk

WISH YOU WERE DEAD

LYCEUM // 27 JUNE – 1 JULY // £15-£47

Adapted for the stage, Wish You Were Dead is the latest thrilling instalment of the Grace Series – the most successful modern-day crime franchise since Agatha Christie. When Detective Superintendent Roy Grace and Cleo Morey take their first holiday together, they hope for a few days away from their everyday worlds of murder and the mortuary. But their dream escape turns out to be the holiday from hell. sheffieldtheatres.co.uk

DONKEY NONSENSE: PRINTS JAMES GREEN

MILLENIUM GALLERY // JUN-OCT // FREE

Throughout this summer and beyond, the Millennium Gallery will celebrate the work of one of Sheffield’s most popular artists and printmakers. Alongside bold renderings of landscapes and animals of all kinds, donkeys have been a much-loved mainstay of Green’s prints for over 15 years. This exhibition will showcase more than 50 of Green’s screenprints and linocuts, alongside clothing, ceramics, films and more.

sheffieldmuseums.org.uk

ARTISTS SPOTLIGHT

HELION ART

HOW DID YOUR ARTISTIC JOURNEY BEGIN?

I’ve been creating and drawing since I was a kid, but until 2020 I was on a completely different trajectory. I had gotten a master’s degree, was working in a law firm and planning to go into policy making to counter human trafficking. Heavy, I know. But the pandemic came along we all had our collective existential crisis and I decided to stop fighting the burnout. I thought while the world was closed down I might as well practice as much as possible and reset my focus to things that make me happy. I got lucky and now my work is my passion and no one minds that I’m weird.

DOES LIVING IN SHEFFIELD INFLUENCE YOUR ARTISTIC STYLE AND CREATIVE PROCESS?

It definitely does. Trying to be an up-and-coming artist you are always walking the line between creating the work that spills out of you and making art that your audience will consume. It helps a lot that I love Sheffield; I love the trees, the Peaks, the people and the vibes of city. It’s not hard to be influenced by the art scene here.

ARE THERE ANY SPECIFIC THEMES OR MESSAGES YOU LIKE TO EXPLORE THROUGH YOUR ART?

I was the kid in school with undiagnosed autism which left me feeling unable to properly fit in ways I couldn’t put my finger on. So, I spent a lot of time thinking about people, what makes humans people because I really wasn’t sure. Being someone who could happily think alone for hours, I eventually became interested in existentialism. What is the sensation of existing? What lies beyond our perception? What do flowers look like to the insects that can see colours that are invisible to us? I try to channel those questions into my work; there is a humour in the surreal and absurd that I really enjoy playing in. When people look at my work I want them to feel delighted, if a little confused.

WHAT MEDIUMS AND TECHNIQUES DO YOU ENJOY WORKING WITH THE MOST, AND WHY?

Very recently I’ve been getting into linocut carving and printing, I love the textured analog experience of carving a relief and printing it. After being spoiled by the freedoms of working digitally, working in such a restrictive medium has been a lovely challenge. Having unlimited

For this month’s spotlight on a local creative, Exposed catches up with Helion Art about choosing new paths, Sheffield inspirations and exploring matters of existentialism through art.

layers to fill and an undo button lets you rely on an abundance of detail to make up for your technical shortcomings. But when carving a relief, every stroke has to be perfect or it has to be skillfully hidden. It feels more vulnerable because there is nowhere to hide, but I enjoy the danger I guess.

WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING ON RECENTLY?

Recently, I’ve been putting together a colouring book of my favourite line works, but it's been in the finishing stages for what seems like forever now. Most of my work has been on hold since I broke my ankle in March. Turning your joint into gravel and losing your independence makes freelance work pretty impossible. Beyond that, for a long time after my injury I was struggling to find any joy in being creative. Even though I could still technically draw, pulling something beautiful out of yourself when you’re in constant pain... it doesn’t want to come out; it felt barbed.

Most recently, I did manage to finish one piece though. After not creating for two months, the sad teapot lady just flowed out of me all at once, like a splinter that popped out on its own. It was very satisfying.

HOW DO YOU APPROACH THE PROCESS OF TRANSLATING IDEAS OR CONCEPTS INTO ARTWORKS?

I have quite a magpie brain. There is always a list of pretty things I want to draw in my head: tattoos I’ve seen, a cool stained glass window or that weird caterpillar I saw on a hike. A lot of the time I just wait to see what my brain comes up with while I’m not paying attention; I’ll see a weird vintage perfume bottle in a junk shop, take a picture of it, and six months later, I’ll see the photo in my phone and I know what the print looks like. The spontaneous ideas are always the better ones.

HOW DO YOU STAY MOTIVATED AND INSPIRED AS AN ARTIST, AND WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO ASPIRING ARTISTS?

Taking a break from creating, relaxing and letting your brain cook on your projects without your input every once in a while. You’ll come back and the thing you were struggling with will just click. I always plan a long break into my time scales for projects, sorting out what is and what isn’t a dead-end in your process with fresh eyes is essential.

Beyond that, I think diversifying my creative inputs and outputs is really important to maintaining a healthy and inspired work balance. For me, being a consistent artist is all in the head game. I’m always keeping tabs on my creative energy pool and managing my projects around it. Dipping in and out of different projects isn’t a bad thing if it means everything keeps moving forward. As for advice, as an autistic adult I definitely struggle to talk to clients. The imposter syndrome flavour of not feeling like a fully socialised human is difficult and I often pitch with a freezing cold ball of lead burning a hole in my chest. My advice is to be relentless even when you don’t believe in yourself; its okay to not feel confident walking into a pitch, but you’ve got to do it anyway