Exposed Magazine September 2024

BITING BACK

POST-PUNK PACK LEADERS FAT DOG UNLEASH THEIR DEBUT ALBUM

SZOPA // MADE BY ATELIER // SENSORIA // DAVID FORREST // LEAH’S YARD // EVENTS ROUNDUP

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BRADFORD | HULL | LEEDS | MANCHESTER | SHEFFIELD

24: DOG DAYS

Ahead of their debut album WOOF, South-London post-punk band Fat Dog brings their chaotic sound to Sheffield this month. Ash Birch caught up with keyboardist Chris Hughes to discuss the band’s unique journey, their hectic live shows and why they love The Fat Cat.

12: YARD PARTY

After much anticipation, Leah’s Yard opened on 24 August, revitalising the historic Cambridge Street location in the Heart of the City development. We took a closer look at the Grade II* Listed building, once home to the city’s ‘little mesters’, which now houses a vibrant mix of local businesses, including Pete McKee’s gallery, Hop Hideout beer shop, Bullion Chocolate and more.

20: YOU KNOW IT MAKES SENSORIA

Sensoria returns this October, offering four days of unique live performances, film screenings and digital art. We’ve rounded up some programme highlights, including a VR performance by BISHI, a cult classic screening with a new score and the UK’s largest synth expo.

46: PREACHING TRUTHS

Szopa, a Polish-born artist now based in Sheffield, draws on his Eastern European upbringing in his newly released album, The Prayerbook, which explores themes of religion, corruption and identity.

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GI’ US A HAND PLZ

Heather Paterson, Mark Perkins, Maja Drwal, Ruby Deakin, Charlie Parker

THE BUSINESS STUFF

Exposed is published monthly by Blind Mice Media Ltd Unit 1b, 2 Kelham square Kelham Riverside Sheffield S3 8SD

friday 13 sept 2024 big country

£32.50, Doors 7:00pm

saturday 14 sept 2024 brogeal

£11.00, Doors 7:30pm

saturday 14 sept 2024 the davinci michelangelo experience

£25.00, Doors 7:30pm

friday 20 sept 2024 los campesinos

£20.00, Doors 7:00pm

saturday 21 sept 2024 antarctic monkeys

£20.00, Doors 7:00pm

saturday 28 sept 2024 harry’s house of gospel

£17.50 - £28.00, Doors 7:30pm

friday 4 oct 2024 the tuesday club x displace pres. valve sound system

£20.00, Doors 10:00pm, 18+

saturday 5 oct 2024 crime viral: murder staged

£20.00, Doors 7:00pm

sunday 6 oct 2024 michael aldag

£15.00, Doors 7:00pm thursday 10 oct 2024 pale waves

£22.00, Doors 7:30pm

friday 11 oct 2024 from the jam

£35.00, Doors 7:00pm

sunday 13 oct 2024

matt bragg

£15.00, Doors 7:00pm

wednesday 16 oct 2024 skinny living

£20.00, Doors 7:30pm friday 18 oct 2024 red richardson

£16.00, Doors 7:00pm

saturday 26 oct 2024 cast

£30.00, Doors 7:00pm

friday 1 nov 2024 kai humphries

£15.00, Doors 7:00pm

friday 1 nov 2024 the brand new heavies

£30.00, Doors 7:00pm

saturday 2 nov 2024

seckou keita

£23.00, Doors 7:00pm saturday 9 nov 2024

pete & bas

£17.50, Doors 7:00pm thursday 14 nov 2024

kneecap

£20.00, Doors 7:30pm friday 15 nov 2024

craig charles

funk & soul house party

£20/22/24, Doors 7:00pm, 18+ saturday 16 nov 2024

kingfishr

£17.50, Doors 7:30pm

monday 18 nov 2024

sports team

£20.00, Doors 7:30pm saturday 23 nov 2024

john bramwell

£25.00, Doors 6:30pm saturday 30 nov 2024

katy j pearson

£16.00, Doors 7:00pm sunday 8 dec 2024

michael head & the red elastic band

£25.00, Doors 7:30pm thursday 12 dec 2024

emo karaoke night

£14.00, Doors 7:00pm friday 13 dec 2024

turin brakes

£27.50, Doors 7:00pm saturday 14 dec 2024

grace petrie

£18.00, Doors 7:00pm SATURDAY 25 JAN 2025

THE MAGIC NUMBERS

£25.00, Doors 7:00pm SATURDAY 25 JAN 2025

ania magliano

£17.50, Doors 7:00pm monday 25 feb 2025

the mysterines

£20.00, Doors 7:30pm all shows open to the public (14+ unless stated otherwise) tickets available from foundrysu.com box office: 0114 222 8777 foundry, sheffield students’ union western bank, s10 2tg foundrysu.com - foundry@sheffield.ac.uk @foundrysheffield

scan for tickets

CELEBRATING HERITAGE

England’s biggest festival of heritage and culture returns to Sheffield this September, offering unique insights into the eclectic history of the city and the surrounding region. With over a hundred free events across ten days, visitors are given an exclusive opportunity to uncover untold stories from hidden gems and historic sites across every corner of Sheffield.

Each year, Heritage Open Days attracts thousands of visitors from Sheffield and beyond to discover the region’s rich past. This year’s theme, ‘Routes - Networks – Connections’, explores the movement of ideas and people throughout history, how they have come together, and how they continue to sculpt Sheffield’s cultural landscape.

Coordinator of Heritage Open Days in Sheffield, Janet Ridler, said: “Sheffield is very proud of its heritage in all its forms, from historic buildings and structures to our green spaces, our street art, and the people who have helped shape Sheffield across the centuries.”

The festival hopes to connect locals and visitors to the ground beneath their

feet through walking tours, creative activities and other hands-on experiences. For 2024, HODs has added a number of new events to its programme, including an exploration of Sheffield’s Showroom Cinema featuring a free screening of a local heritage film. The Alfred Denny Museum, National Videogames Museum, Ecclesall Woods, the Wave building and Beehive Works have all been added to this year’s listings.

Supported by Sheffield Civic Trust and a team of dedicated volunteers, independent history enthusiasts from across the city are given the chance to facilitate a diverse range of events and share their fascination with the city’s past.

“Each event is autonomous and run by local people who have a passion for their own corner of Sheffield’s heritage. People are always excited to discover new places and experiences that provide an understanding of our city and its history and traditions,” Janet added.

One area inviting visitors to discover its heritage is Kelham Island, known for being one of Sheffield’s oldest industrial sites and housing Europe’s largest working

steam engine. Founder of Kelham Island Walking Tours Anders Hanson, who has been running the event for five years, aims to share Kelham’s lesser-known history with visitors.

“Although it is home to the city’s industrial museum, there is only a limited amount of information about the area itself. There are so many interesting buildings, and the more I looked into it, the more fascinating stories I found that I enjoyed sharing with others,” Anders explained. “I hope people will come away from the walk having discovered things about Kelham Island they didn’t know before.”

“There is always something new to learn! Because we have such a full programme of events we know that Heritage Open Days brings heritage tourists to the city from across the country and beyond and so we are delighted that we provide a chance for Sheffield to proudly showcase its unique heritage and culture to all our visitors,” added Janet.

Sheffield Heritage Open Days takes place from 6-15 September.

Scan the QR to see the full list of events published. Festival updates are also available at sheffieldhods.com.

Photo: Joe Horner

A NEW HOME FOR S1 ARTSPACE

S1 Artspace hopes to have found its permanent home in Fitzalan Square’s old Yorkshire Bank Chambers, with plans underway to transform the space into a flourishing hub for artists. The Grade II listed building, which has stood empty since 2017, will be the latest addition to Castlegate’s ever-expanding art scene, bringing an array of artistic talent to the city centre.

The renovated building will feature two floors of gallery space showcasing the work of artists from Sheffield and beyond. The space will also be home to artist studios, a research centre and community events space, as well as an independent bar. Visitors will be able to purchase gifts and other

goods from the artspace’s shop, which will spotlight the work of local artists and makers.

Previously operating from the Park Hill estate, the Artspace’s move to Fitzalan Square is a monumental step that brings artists closer to the vibrant cultural scene of Sheffield City Centre. Project Director Louise Hutchinson commented: “Securing our own premises is a remarkable achievement that allows us to move forward and establish a space that places artistic practice firmly at its core.”

The restoration of the building is the product of S1 Artspace’s longstanding collaboration with Sheffield Hallam University, strengthening their connection

by partnering to transform the site. The joint venture reinforces the University’s commitment to supporting local artists and fostering local talent - the building will stand alongside Hallam’s department of Art and Design and Creative Industries Institute, established in the old Head Post Office, also in Fitzalan Square.

Liz Mossop, Vice-Chancellor of Sheffield Hallam University, explained: “As home to a huge community of creative industries students, graduates, and academics, Sheffield Hallam has a long tradition of forging close links with arts and culture partners across the region.”

The venue will join a community of local cultural hubs including neighbour

Harmony Works at Canada House, which is set to become a new centre for music education founded by the Sheffield Music Academy and Sheffield Music Hub.

South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard praised the Artspace’s move into Castlegate: “S1 Artspace’s plan to create a new arts and cultural venue is a brilliant example of the level of our ambition in South Yorkshire. We want to be at the centre of the nation’s cultural conversations, and we need the infrastructure, spaces and sites for our artistic and cultural expression to live up to their fullest potential.”

s1artspace.org // @s1artspace

WELCOME

TO THE NEIGHBOURHOOD

LEAH’S YARD

It’s been a while coming, but the highly anticipated Leah’s Yard opened its doors on 24 August, with an exciting mix of local businesses and creatives breathing life into the historic Cambridge Street location.

The Grade II* Listed building, once home to the city’s “little mesters” and craftspeople, has enjoyed a 21st century update and now boasts a diverse range of organisations, shops and hangout spots – a testament to the Steel City’s continuing creativity and enterprising spirit.

Back in November, local legend Pete McKee was the first resident to be announced and has moved his Sharrow Vale gallery to its new home. Pete celebrated the transformation of the everevolving city, saying, “I wanted to move to the city centre to help be a part of our beautiful city’s new beginning.”

Jules Gray from award-winning beer shop Hop Hideout is another, transitioning from a spot at Kommune food court to a brick-and-mortar location in the heart of the city. As one of the UK’s first ‘drink in’ beer shops, their tasting room offers a perfect space for customers to sample their enormous range of craft beers, ciders and natural wines.

‘Bean-to-bar’ craft chocolate company Bullion Chocolate have set up their own Chocolate Bar for one of Sheffield’s most inspiring chocolatetasting experiences. The shop sells Bullion’s award-winning, high-quality drinking chocolate (which works nicely in cocktail for, so we’re told) and freshly made sandwiches are available during the day.

Owners of Knab Farm Shop Ian and Mary have expanded their business to the Mesters’ Market in Leah’s Yard, offering the very best locally made food and drink. Next door, The Yard Gallery showcases artwork and creativity from exclusively local artists, with sale profits going on to help fund new talent from across the city.

Businesses Hatch Product Design and James Morris Design have teamed up to share the yard’s upstairs space, specialising in a range of different disciplines but united by their passion for design and quality products.

You’ll also find beloved plant specialist Gravel Pit, a shop offering a variety of botanical supplies and showcasing prints, sculptures and original artwork by creators from Sheffield and beyond. In addition, the sustainable flower business Roots and Bloom are next-door providing beautiful alternatives to imported bouquets, sourcing their flowers locally and ensuring all products are plastic and chemical-free.

PHOTO:

Independent bookshop La Biblioteka has moved its hand-curated collection from Eyre Lane to the yard. Owner Alex said: ‘After years calling ourselves nomadic booksellers since our first pop-up, we look forward to welcoming customers old and new to discover their next favourite read in our forever home.’

Joining is Sheffield Hospitals Charity along with automation start-up Ferrio and critically acclaimed podcast company Persephonica. A fresh announcement with weeks to go was the award-winning Kelham Barber, who opened their second location amongst the tight-knit network of small businesses.

Cllr Ben Miskell, Chair of the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy, said of the opening: “Leah's Yard has played a vital role in the city's industrial past already and, following the brilliant transformation, it will once again be able to contribute to the city's future. The building has already attracted an incredible collection of businesses from various industries.”

Working together in a close community of other local makers, innovators, and entrepreneurs, Leah’s Yard offers independent businesses the perfect opportunity to flourish in the heart of the city centre. A busy opening weekend displayed how Sheffielders continue to show a committment to championing homegrown local enterprises with something for everyone, and the destination looks nailed on to become the perfect new addition to the city’s thriving indie business scene.

@leahsyard // leahsyard.com

PHOTO: @marcabarkerphotography

HEAD IN THE GAME

Crookes Studio Calls on Locals for a Pioneering 3D Scanning Project

Sheffield-based Ten24, renowned for their cuttingedge work in creating hyper-realistic 3D models for the gaming and visual effects industries, is extending a unique invitation to the public. They are calling on Sheffielders to visit their studio in Crookes to participate in a project that could shape the future of digital character creation. Participants will have their faces scanned in just 15 minutes, receiving £50 for their time.

Ten24, established in 2008, has long been a leader in the industry, specialising in photogrammetry – a process that uses multiple highresolution cameras to create precise 3D models. Their work is widely known in the industry, with assets used in major projects like Netflix’s Love, Death & Robots and video games such as Halo 4 and Baldur’s Gate 3. Traditionally, creating a game-ready digital human could take months, but Ten24 helped to pioneer a technique using advanced scanning technology to drastically reduce this to just a few days, which has subsequently become a new industry standard.

However, with the rise of AI, the landscape of 3D modelling is shifting. As AI technology becomes more adept at generating realistic characters, the demand for high-quality datasets has increased. This is where Ten24’s latest project, Sapiens, comes in. The studio is seeking to create the most comprehensive and diverse 3D human dataset to date, which will be used to advance AI technologies and digital character creation.

“We understand that AI isn’t for everyone, and it’s completely okay to choose not to participate if it doesn’t align

with your values. It’s important that people feel empowered to make that decision,” explained Ben Carlin, Creative Producer at Ten24. “However, at Ten24, we genuinely believe that the Sapiens project has the potential to make a positive impact across various industries – from gaming to healthcare – by creating technology that is more inclusive and representative.

We’re also committed to supporting our local community by compensating participants fairly for their time, which puts money back into the local economy.”

“We’ve traditionally worked with actors and models, but now we’re opening this up to the general public,” he added.

“This is about contributing to the future of gaming and AI in a way that’s open and transparent. Participants will know how their data is being used and what it definitely won’t be used for, and they’ll be compensated for it. Our goal is to approach this project with the utmost transparency and respect for everyone involved, ensuring that those who do choose to

participate feel valued and informed every step of the way.”

The scanning process, which takes place in a high-tech rig resembling a futuristic spaceship, is straightforward yet sophisticated. Participants will sit for a brief session where their faces are captured from multiple angles. These scans could contribute to a dataset designed to diversify the digital characters seen in games and films, train AI to better reproduce human faces or assist robots in industries like healthcare, hospitality and customer service to better understand facial expressions. Rest assured, you will be fully informed about the privacy terms, ensuring complete transparency and security throughout the process. Other small but important notes to bear in mind: make-up must be removed, beards aren’t allowed and you must be 18-plus to be scanned.

Ten24’s transparency about the project is notable, especially in an era where concerns about data privacy are at a high. “We’re committed to ensuring that this data is used responsibly. We’re

on hand to answer any questions throughout the process. Unlike many big tech companies that scrape our social media profiles without us really knowing about it, Ten24 is setting a new standard for ethical, opt-in, GDPR-compliant data sets,” said Ben.

This initiative marks a significant step for Ten24 as they move towards a more public-facing role. The studio has already made waves with their 3D Scan Store, an industry-standard platform for purchasing digital human assets, and they are excited to see how the public responds to this new opportunity.

The initial phase of the project will take place at their Crookes studio, with plans to expand to a city centre location later in the year. Interested Sheffielders can sign up via the QR code on this page or simply visit sapiens-booking.com.

For more information, visit ten24.info.

TO BOOK A SCAN, HEAD HERE.

1.

Sign-up

2.

Visit

3. GET PAID

Sign

EARN £50

RED BRICK MARKET

Ruby Deakin pays a visit to the vibrant vintage emporium on the outskirts of the Sheffield city centre.

Tucked away just off Bramall Lane, vintage warehouse Red Brick Market is the ultimate destination for thrifty, local shoppers. It’s easy to get lost in its endless rows of uniquely designed independent stalls, and just when you think you’ve seen it all, turning a corner reveals a whole host of beforeunseen goodies.

The market is truly a testament to the enormous range of creativity and enterprising talent in Sheffield. With bustling hubs of craftsmanship and artistry like this, it’s easy to see why the city is gaining a reputation for the vibrancy of its small business scene.

The Clough Road warehouse, previously home to 99 Jump trampoline park, is Red Brick’s third branch following the huge success of venues in Liverpool and Birmingham. Since opening its doors in March, the ‘independent department store’ is now at full capacity with over 150 shops, each offering something completely different from the next.

For its vendors, Red Brick is truly unique, allowing local business owners to experience selling from a physical shop without obstacles. Sheffield Manager Jordan Jade spoke to me about the market’s initial vision:

“With a high street shop, the need to staff it daily and a combination of expensive rents and business rates makes it hard to sustain. Local businesses have welcomed Red Brick with open arms.”

Whether you’re looking for a thoughtful gift, a stylish addition to your wardrobe or a new piece to decorate your home, Red Brick has it all. Regardless of budget, the diversity of vendors means there’s something for everyone, and you won’t go away empty handed.

One such vendor is Linda from One Three Four Vintage (@ onethreefourvintage), creating unapologetically bold banners stamped with everything from iconic song lyrics to slogans of northern pride. “I love vintage and upcycling, and I try to use anything that most people would throw away,” said Linda. “My aim is to make lots of people smile when they see and read my banners. Works stitched in thread and cloth have always told a story.”

Sustainability is at the heart of so many businesses at Red Brick. Sophie, who owns a second-hand studio (@ secondhandsoph), focuses her collection on long-lasting vintage fashion, and her new Re-Made clothing brand takes this one step further.

Sophie explained: “Inspired by the amount of damaged and unwanted clothing there is in charity shops, car-boots and recycling centres, I find clothing made from good quality natural fabrics and turn them into something new, right here in Yorkshire.

“I think the industrial spaces around Bramall Lane have been crying out for more over the last few years. It’s nice to see more quirky, affordable spaces for independent businesses to thrive.”

Red Brick provides fantastic support for its sellers and has been praised for its commitment to uplifting small businesses within an honest, relaxed and friendly environment. Amy, of Bad Bambi Retro (@bad_bambi_retro), commented on the ethos: “Shopping can be so heartless and impersonal these days. I find Red Brick to be such an inspiring place. The main appeal is its

unique nature and niche products, but more than that, it’s an experience.”

“It transforms every time I visit with new artists and artwork on the walls. It’s constantly evolving, and I’m happy to be a part of it,” explained Haidee, co-owner of a collaborative stall at the market.

The future looks bright for Red Brick in Sheffield. Manager Jordan spoke of new plans to increase the size of the market to welcome more incoming vendors, as well as hopes of creating an event space that will transform the venue:

“Due to the overwhelming response we’ve had since opening, we’re now planning to expand the market floor into our building at the back on John Street. We will also be building some studio spaces on the first floor. We’re hoping to start building work later this year.”

Red Brick Market is open MondaySaturday 10-6 and Sunday 11-6. Find out more about upcoming events and vendors on their Instagram @ redbrickmarket_sheffield.

GIVE IT A GO: SENSORIA SENSORIA FESTIVAL 2024

For four days in October, the UK’s festival of film and music, Sensoria, will bring one-off live performances, live film soundtracks, rare cult film screenings and digital animation to venues across Sheffield.

The much-loved event is an annual celebration of the city’s boundless musical innovation and creative culture, having featured talents such as Jarvis Cocker, Bill Drummond, Richard Hawley, Forgemasters, Laurie Anderson, Nitin Sawhney and Christopher Eccleston, all set against the backdrop of unique and unconventional venues since its inception in 2008.

THIS YEAR’S HIGHLIGHTS:

BISHI

Artist, composer and producer BISHI will perform her original score for the VR experience Maya, The Birth of a Superhero with a string quartet, against a big-screen backdrop. BISHI is known for her trademark electric sitar, fouroctave vocal range and celebrated use of groundbreaking technology in her live performances.

Date: Thursday, 3 October at 8pm.

Venue: The University of Sheffield Drama Studio

SHAOLIN INVINCIBLES

Reel Steel and Sensoria present a special screening of Cheng Hou’s 1977 head-spinning cult classic The Shaolin Invincibles (18+), accompanied by a new original live score by games soundtrack composer Chipzel. The film follows two sword-wielding sisters seeking revenge against the villains who murdered their family, battling kung-fu gorillas, guardians of the underworld and a host of outlandish assassins.

Date: Friday, 4 October at 7:45pm. Venue: The University of Sheffield Drama Studio

GAZELLE TWIN

A haunting live performance by Gazelle Twin of her recent LP, Black Dog. The electronic music composer and producer transforms intense personal experiences and childhood memories into resonant songs, with a performance rooted in the theatrics of séances and the phenomena of ghosts.

Date: Saturday, 5 October at 8pm.

Venue: The University of Sheffield Drama Studio

BLOWN AWAY (CONCERTEENIES)

A live performance for children of author Rob Biddulph’s Blown Away by Concerteenies, award-winning producer of musical events and activities for young children. Full of fun actions and songs in a relaxed and friendly environment, this Sheffield premiere performance is the perfect introduction to music, animation and storytelling, ideal for 3 to 8-year-olds and their families.

Date: Sunday, 6 October at 11 am.

Venue: The Montgomery Theatre

SENSORIAPRO

Composers, filmmakers, music publishers, and more will gather at SensoriaPro, a day exploring the latest innovations in music and creative media. Open to all, the event includes a live scoring contest, challenging artists to score the trailer for Threads, the 1984 post-apocalyptic documentary-drama set in Sheffield. Special guests include Emmywinning composer Nainita Desai and the creative team behind the forthcoming TV dramatisation of Bernadine Evaristo’s novel Mr Loverman.

Date: Friday, 4 October from 10 am5:30 pm.

Venue: Showroom Cinema

SYNTHFEST UK

SynthFest UK joins Sensoria, offering a chance to see, play, and buy the biggest range of synthesizers in the UK. Over sixty companies will showcase their synths at an event that attracts visitors from across the UK, Europe, and beyond.

Date: Saturday, 5 October, 10 am-6:30 pm.

Venue: The Octagon Centre

The scope of events on offer is wideranging, and everyone is invited. We’ve featured a few of the best bits announced so far, but head to the website below for more announcements, including art and music installations in unusual spaces.

Tickets: www.sensoria.org.uk

Dates: 3-6 October 2024 at venues across Sheffield.

Socials: @sensoriafest

Luke Nugent for Temporal Shift

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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.

Under new management by the people who brought you The Schoolrooms and Assembly

• Serving pub classics and our famous Sunday carvery

• Tuesday night’s pub quiz 8pm with alcohol and cash prizes

• Playing every match of Euros 2024

• Large family friendly enclosed beer garden

• Available to hire for private parties

• Open Monday – Sunday 11:30am – 11:30pm Follow us on socials; Instagram: @thebradfieldplough Facebook :The Bradfield Plough www.thebradfieldplough.co.uk New Road, Low Bradfield, Sheffield, S6 6HW

Ahead of the release of their debut album, WOOF, hotly tipped South-London five- piece Fat Dog bring their howling arsenal of dance-punk bangers to Sheffield for two shows this autumn. In anticipation of the release and the Sheffield dates, Ash Birch caught up with keyboard and synth player, Chris Hughes, firstly to try and help him navigate the mystical lands of Shadwell, but secondly (and maybe more pertinently) to discuss who would win in a fight with Ringo Starr, his love of Sheffield’s Fat Cat pub and time travel!

Welcome to the surreal world of Fat Dog...

As the Zoom call fires into life, I’m greeted with a Blair Witch POV of Chris’ nostrils, as he distractedly lurches about a warren of unfamiliar London streets. “I’m somewhere in Shadwell,” he tells me. “I woke up in my friend’s house, but I’ve never been to it before. I’m very confused!”

At this point, his phone switches into ‘safe driving mode,’ as if even his device needs to preserve itself from the chaos of the morning.

“I don’t know where all my money went last night, but I’ve woken up in a strange land.”

After a suitably surreal start to the chat, Chris attempts to find a greasy spoon. Feeling thwarted, and with police ominously circling, he settles into a recently inhabited “pissy London phone box” and, while resting his arm on something that definitely hasn’t been used to make calls for some time, we get down to the business of Fat Dog.

Up until recently, Fat Dog have been a rare and mysterious commodity in the music industry. At the time they showed up on our radar late last summer, unless you were lucky enough to stumble upon a show, searching for info on the band was a bit of a ghost hunt.

With just one epic single, 'King of the Slugs', released at that point and sparse

social media coverage, aside from a few videos made by Lou Smith, there was something of the old school about how they had built their following. This diet of slogging it out on the London gig circuit will probably keep them well-fed in the long term, as other bands of the same ilk begin to starve on empty social media calories.

“Fundamentally, we’re all really fucking disorganised people,” explains Chris, “but the intent was there. I think it builds a stronger foundation when you don’t release music immediately.

“Because so much music is released every day, and because it’s so easy to do, the market is saturated, and if you just release stuff, and you haven’t actually played that many gigs, then it’s likely that all your music is going to get lost in the wind.

“Whereas we decided to just keep gigging and wait for the right people to come along and release it in a really great way.

“We built hype organically, rather than forcing it. It means that the actual listeners that we have were already becoming hardcore fans, because they’d had to physically commit to a gig anyway. I think that’s built a really nice sense of community within our fans, and for us as well.

“Even before I joined the band (Chris joined in 2022, after initially auditioning as a violin player, despite only allowing himself a week to learn violin... and being a bass player by trade!), it was a gig or two a week for the longest time. This year, we’ve already played more than 50 shows, and that kind of work ethic makes you a better musician.”

Another rationale for the delayed release of the first single was that the band, and in particular songwriter and frontman, Joe Love, had begun to feel the pressure to get it right. “You want to put your strongest food forward. It had to be perfect. You can’t do a debut release after all this hype and flop it,” explains Chris.

Despite being excited about the upcoming album and the idea of fans finally getting to hear the recordings, Chris admits that, at least for him, the live performances are what excite him most. “I’m a bit of a caveman. You put an instrument in front of me. I play it. The studio side of it boggles my mind, but what’s nice about the studio, is you have the opportunity to experiment. Sort of like how an animator can animate anything they want. That’s kind of what it feels like when you’re in a studio.

“We’ve been playing these songs for such a long time, it’s nice that they’ll suddenly be physically out, and we can start maybe trying to write new stuff. We

built this foundation as a live band, so it’ll be interesting to see how people react to hearing these songs on record, versus kind of smelling the songs live.”

The songs have been sniffed out by live audiences for a couple of years now but were originally written by Joe during lockdown as a reaction to the serious, and at times sanctimonious, bands that surrounded him.

“Joe was in a post-punk band, and I think he just got bored of it and wanted to make music he wanted to hear. He started writing these crazy dance tracks and I think he got lonely playing them on stage on his own. He was a bit like William Shatner doing covers of Beatles songs or something, so he decided it would be a good idea to get some actual other human beings on stage.

“I think, musically, you feel better when you have other people on stage, because you have this connection. I think the connection is one of the most important driving forces in music. When you look across at other people in the band and you’re not saying anything to each other, but you kind of have that stank face, and you’re all like, oh, that’s good – that’s addictive.”

Fat Dog live are notorious as a relentless force; battering techno-infused synths, insistent repetitive sax and Balkan-influenced guitar lines mean there’s a lot going on musically, but

“We wanted Vincent Price, like on Thriller, but it turns out he’sdead."fucking

there’s more than just the noise to be enjoyed at one of their shows.

Whether it’s drummer Johnny ‘Doghead’ Hutch and his latex dog head mask, synchronised dance routines or Chris donning a sort of monk’s cloak to deliver an ominous monologue midway through the set, Fat Dog is a visual assault. “We always hope that the music is the best bit, but you’ve got to have a little bit of theatrics in there.

“My favourite thing is writing intensesounding bullshit so I’m the speech guy in the band – I do big word good.”

Part of Chris’ responsibility as ‘speech guy’ was penning the album’s opening monologue, 'Vigilante', which is delivered by Northern actor Neil Bell (Dead Man’s Shoes) who also occasionally joins the band on stage.

“We wanted Vincent Price, like on Thriller, but it turns out he’s fucking dead.” laments Chris. “Neil’s a great guy. He’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever met, and we ended up getting on like a house on fire. He also thought he might get to Glastonbury on a free ticket, if he did it!”

Neil was originally hired to perform in the video for recent single, 'All The Same', where he plays a disgruntled father, who travels back in time to kick himself in the balls because he hates his kids.

“The reality of time travel would be instant insanity,” says Chris, “If I could travel back in time, I think I’d leave a microwave in the past and not do anything else, really fuck with them. Or just one packet of Nik Naks. Even the notion of the packaging would fuck with them. It would become a relic. It’d be a Nik Nak-based economy.

“Actually, I’d rather bring someone from the past into modern times; put a medieval knight on the South Western Railway. To be honest, time travel would be good, but only if you could go back to like dinosaur times. Any other time period of civilisation would just be confusing.

“I can’t speak for the band, but I think we’d all like to be the same dinosaur. It’s got to be a diplodocus; it’s the everyman of dinosaurs. It has its place and eats leaves really well, but it’s not some crazy jock predator. Just a well-rounded bloke, with a long neck and he’s probably pretty sound.

“You can tell a lot about a person by the dinosaur they choose.”

Wrestling the conversation back to Fat

"I reckon if I slapped Paul McCartney in the face, it would be like slapping ice cream.”

Dog, I ask Chris where the band’s name comes from?

“Fat Dog is an idea, and you can’t kill an idea.” explains Chris, “The story behind the name is actually pretty shit but I can make one up?”

There’s only one correct answer here. We’re all ears, speech guy...

“We walked for seven days and seven nights in search of a name. We walked to the highest peak and there was, at the top of this mountain, a man. A man holding one bucket of water and a fishing rod, and he stood on one leg. We asked him who are we? He looked at us and he smiled, and he whispered, 'Fat Dog.'

“Every band name is shit until you make it. Imagine Cream playing to six people in a pub. The Beatles is one of the worst band names of all time. I was staring at it the other day, and who the fuck thought it should be spelled that way? That is insane. I just wanna slap Ringo Starr in the face! Actually, Ringo looks like he could still handle himself, he’s got that crazy aura about him. I reckon if I slapped Paul McCartney in the face, it would be like slapping ice cream.”

Beatle-bashing aside, with the

imminent release of the album comes the inevitable touring schedule and they head to Sheffield twice in the coming months. It's a fact Chris is very pleased about.

“Sheffield is one of my favourite places I’ve ever been to. You guys got this pub, I think it’s called The Fat Cat, where you can get a pie and a pint and it feels like a hug from your mum or something.

“Sheffield is an underrated place, but I don’t want too many people from London to find out and move there, I want you guys to keep it to yourselves.”

As well as enjoying the opportunity to take in Kelham boozers, the band will also be busy writing new material. “We’re trying to write new stuff whenever we get the opportunity.

“Joe wrote the majority of the songs this time, because it’s how it’s worked on this album – we weren’t even in the band when the songs were written.

“We’re all kind of scared to bring things to Joe, sometimes. I’ll write something at home, and I’ll be like, maybe Joe will like this, and I just never show it to him. I’m trying to get a bit more confident. For Joe, it’s never been a matter of, I write the songs, you guys play the songs. He’s always joking that he’s a cow with no more milk left.

“I probably should have been writing last night but I was swept away by the currents of culture.”

Fat Dog play the Leadmill on Saturday 28th September as part of Float Along Festival and Crookes Social Club on 14th November –you’d be barking mad to miss it.

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A TASTE OF TRADITION

Sheffield’s culinary scene has recently welcomed a new Italian gem –Borgo, a proud traditional restaurant that has quickly become a must-visit destination for those seeking a slice of la dolce vita. Nestled on Oakbrook Road in Fulwood, Borgo opened its doors just a few months ago, and since then, it has been buzzing with activity and regularly booked out at weekends, drawing in foodies from right across the city.

Vito, one of Borgo’s cofounders, shared insights into the restaurant’s rapid success. “It’s been an amazing start,” he admitted. “We’ve been very busy since day one – every day, whether it’s the weekend or a weekday. People are really loving it, not just the food, but the service, the atmosphere, the feeling. It’s somewhere you really want to go to and stay all night.”

Borgo, which means “village” in Italian, aims to capture the essence of a traditional Italian neighbourhood restaurant. The concept is rooted in community and the warmth of Italian hospitality, offering a traditional, rustic dining experience that feels like home. “There’s a big emphasis on community and the feel of it all,” Vito explained. “There are a lot of vibes – good vibes. It feels intimate and it’s a place for people to talk to each other; there’s a lively atmosphere and all our waiters are Italian. It’s authentic and exactly what we wanted it to be,” he added.

The restaurant’s menu is a celebration of traditional Italian cuisine, with dishes crafted from the finest ingredients. One of the standout features is the Carbonara, served in a cheese wheel and prepared tableside –an almost theatrical experience that has quickly become a crowd favourite.

In addition to its stellar menu, Borgo’s location on Oakbrook Road places it among a small but vibrant community of independent eateries, bars and cafes. “There’s a nice mix of independent restaurants and bars around us, like an Italian deli next door, a coffee shop and the Wonky Labrador for a drink

before or after,” Vito mentioned.

Borgo also boasts an inviting outdoor seating area, perfect for enjoying a meal during Sheffield’s milder evenings.

As the weather warms up, the bar upstairs has also started to attract more visitors, offering a cozy spot to unwind with a drink after dinner.

Despite its early popularity, Borgo’s team is focused on maintaining the high standards that have made the restaurant a hit with Sheffielders. When asked about future plans, Vito was clear: “We’re going to keep going as we are because there’s nothing wrong with it. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Borgo’s success is not just a testament to its excellent food and service, but also to its ability to create a sense of place – a small Italian haven in an increasingly bustling part of S11. The restaurant has already built

WE GET A LOT OF LOCAL PEOPLE WHO COME TWO OR THREE TIMES A WEEK. THEY CAN WALK TO US, ENJOY NICE DRINKS AND FEEL PART OF OUR LITTLE COMMUNITY HERE,

a loyal customer base, with many locals visiting multiple times a week. “We get a lot of local people who come two or three times a week. They can walk over to us, enjoy nice drinks, a bit of food, and feel part of our little community here,” Vito shared. As Borgo continues to thrive, it complements the offerings of its sister establishments, each bringing a unique slice of Italian cuisine to Sheffield. From fresh pasta at Grazie to wood-fired pizzas at Paesani and small plates at Bottega, Borgo squares things off nicely with its traditional menu. “It’s like a working combo,” Vito explained. “Four different Italian dinging experiences, all coming together nicely.”

borgosheffield.co.uk // @borgosheffield 139-141 Oakbrook Rd, S11 7EB

FOOD AND DRINK THE HARLEQUIN

A NEW JEST

Storied Kelham Island boozer The Harlequin recently reopened its doors after a brief closure earlier this year, and there are a couple of familiar faces now at the helm...

Fans of the Rutland Arms and The Crow will welcome news that the pair behind these everpopular pubs, Kate Major and Chris Bamford, have taken on The Harlequin as their third, and over a late lunchtime drink with Exposed, they outlined their plans for the 170-year-old boozer.

Following a rather lovely and sensitively handled refurb, their next objective has been to ensure that, wherever possible, there is a strong focus on local and independent suppliers behind the bar.

Chris told Exposed: “We’re very much going to have an ethos that supports independent suppliers, from the food to the beer – that’s very important to us. We’re also big believers in getting value for money. We are conscious that people don’t have as much disposable income at the moment, and that we can’t just make a decision to put on a beer for six quid just because it’s independent. But our cheapest lager is £4.50, which I think is pretty much standard now.

“Because it’s part of the ethos, we do eat into our margins a bit and try to be as fair as possible. Since Kate left the Three Tuns and I left Shakespeare’s, we’ve always tried to focus on independents within the parameters of what existing customers expected.”

“We’ve always tried to make the right choice,” added Kate. “There are also more independent distilleries in the UK than there’s ever been, so it’s more possible than it’s ever been. Probably from a consumer point of view, there is a wider interest now than there has been too.”

To emphasise this ethos, their beer lineup is 100% independent, with beers sourced from as far afield as Bristol and

Newcastle but mostly coming from Sheffield and surrounding northern cities and towns.

They also have a lager from the oldest independent brewery in the Czech Republic, called Glass Blowers in the UK for its industrial heritage, and The Harlequin is one of just a handful of pubs serving it in the UK.

Cider comes courtesy of Pulp Brewery in Somerset, and there’s also a ‘no Guinness’ policy as that is now supplied by one of the largest spirits suppliers in the world. Instead, they have a nitro stout called Slow Life, brewed in Dublin’s Whiplash Brewery.

There’s a large range of alcohol-free and gluten-free beers available, as well as wines sourced from local suppliers Le Bon Vin, plus lots of independent spirits – including a Ukrainian vodka, whisky from 30 of the 52 Scottish

independent distilleries and gin from Sheffield’s-own Robin of Locksley.

Food will also be on the menu in the coming weeks, with a couple of the chefs from the Rutty heading down to create a bespoke menu.

“It’s a smaller kitchen than in the Rutland, but it’s going

to be a similar sort of menu,” explained Chris. “It will include an equivalent of the Rutty Butty with a name that is, as yet, to be determined.

“The chefs have been trying out some of the sandwiches they’re going to put on the menu here, and they’re tasting very good. It’ll be around £8 for a big

sandwich and a side salad. There will also be pub classics, such as fish and chips, pies and peas –that sort of thing in the evening.”

As well as the food, live music is also back on the agenda in the coming months.

Chris previously worked at The Harlequin from 2008-2011, and he has fond memories of the live music nights held there every Friday and Saturday, which saw rock and blues performers like Frank White regularly performing.

Chris and Kate are planning to resurrect those nights, alongside jazz nights on Thursday evenings and the

opportunity to showcase local up-and-coming bands earlier in the week. There is also an upstairs space, which needs a bit of renovation, but will hold around 50 people for folk and acoustic gigs.

Chris said: “Historically, in my first time here, the pub has always had rock and blues cover bands, including relatively wellknown local acts every Friday and Saturday.

“We’ve got two areas for live music, and the scope is pretty open to everything from open mic nights to punk promoters, and if anyone wants to get in touch to put an evening on,

we’re open to ideas and testing the waters.”

Chris and Kate had no plans to take on a third pub, but when the opportunity arose to take on The Harlequin earlier this year, after thinking it through they decided the potential was there to restore the boozer to its former glories.

The pub had previously been owned by Wendy Woodhouse, who also owned The Crow until she passed away a couple of years ago. She ran the pub (and also changed its name to The Harlequin, in honour of another nearby pub that she attempted to save from demolition) in 2006. She passed it on to her stepdaughter in 2008, who subsequently left the running of it to the previous landlord when she started a family.

Fast forward to earlier this year, the lease was coming up for renewal, and it didn’t look like the previous landlords were going to renew. Given their connection to The Crow and Chris’s previous experience working at The Harlequin, Chris and Kate were the obvious choice and the first people the pub was offered to.

“We met up and had a chat, and I don’t think there are many pubs we would have considered taking as a third, but there is a lot of potential here. The pub has had many heydays over its 170year history, and lots of people have fond memories of it as The Manchester.

“When I worked here the first time, it was the start of it rebuilding its reputation again and becoming one of the top real ale pubs around here. We’d like to bring it back to being an inclusive, safe space that incorporates that. We believe that pubs should be as inclusive as possible and a hub of the community; community means everybody who isn’t spreading violence and disharmony.”

Kate added: “It’s important that people know they are safe here, they are loved here, and they are wanted – which is important to us across all of our pubs.

“We’ve brought the pub features back, we’re bringing back the music, and we’ve brought in staff who we know and trust to do a great job.”

@theharlequinsheffield

FOOD & DRINK DOLICIOUS ARRIVAL

A FRESH BREW

A new speciality coffee shop, 2323, opened on Norfolk Row last month, serving a rotating selection of beans from various roasters around the world.

This rotation not only keeps the menu fresh but also allows customers to explore a wide variety of flavours and profiles. For instance, if you order a flat white, you’ll have the option to select from two different espresso bases, each offering a distinct taste.

“We wanted to create more than just a coffee shop; we wanted to create an experience, more like a wine bar or a microbrewery,” explains co-founder Joe Anderton. “By offering a range of rotating roasters, we’re giving our customers the opportunity to engage with their coffee in a new way.

This approach to coffee is somewhat unusual, especially in Sheffield, where many speciality coffee shops tend to stick to a single house blend with occasional guest roasts, but with help from contacts in the industry, built up over years working in the coffee scene, they have managed to remain independent from any one roaster.

Joe and his partner Lauren, who run the

shop together, started their coffee journey in Cornwall, where they fell in love with the art and science of coffee making while working at a speciality coffee shop during their university years.

Since moving up to Sheffield after university (Lauren is originally from Barnsley), they have been looking for a space to call their own, and you may recognise Joe from some of Sheff’s best known coffee shops, where he has been working as a barista while waiting for the perfect venue to present itself.

When the Norfolk Row site appeared, they felt it was the right space and the right time to put their ideas to the test and create their perfect coffee shop.

@2323coffee

FOR THE RECORD

Grub Records, an all-new record shop and wine-bar hangout, has become the latest addition to the Hagglers Corner community on Queens Road.

From the many minds and DJs behind Apricot Ballroom, Footprints Jazz Club, Groundwork and other Sheffield-wide projects, the latest hotspot promises regular late-night dance parties, the finest organic wines, and an extensive range of hand-picked records.

Gabe, one of Grub Record’s seven

heads and Director of Apricot Ballroom, explained: “It’ll be a new space to hang out in, with a fresh and exciting trove of records for the Sheffield diggers, dancers, and DJs.”

The record collection is the culmination of the team’s diverse music tastes, spanning house, techno, jazz, electro, funk, soul, and everything in between. Rotating regularly, the collection will also bring in new releases from a selection of labels and artists.

As for the wine bar, the sustainabilityfocused menu curated by Alex Warren is composed entirely of biodynamic, organic and handcrafted wines, centring thought, care and expertise in everything they do. Jamie of Groundwork emphasises how much a space like this is needed in the city: “There’s not been a place anything like this in Sheffield, where you can hang out, dig for records, sip wine, and socialise. This really feels like a step in the right direction for the scene in Sheffield.”

To get involved, you can donate to Grub’s crowdfunder and find out more about on their Instagram page below.

@grub.records

With their first location in the soonto-be-opened DoubleTree by Hilton Sheffield City, dō deli are looking to put their stamp on the Sheffield food scene.

Dō deli have a vision: to satisfy both visitors and Sheffield locals alike. To do so, they’re marrying European tradition and local ingredients to create an allencompassing dining experience with something for everyone.

Inspired by traditional scratch bakeries around Europe, dō deli’s menu is full of artisan baked goods: croissants, cinnamon buns, seasonal pastries. In addition to their all-day bakery is a range of deli-options and small-plates, ideal for an after-work stop. For those who are after a bigger bite to eat, dō deli have got smashburgers and their ‘dōlicious’ pizzas, as well as a dessert menu featuring their iconic DDD dōnut ice-cream sandwich.

To drink? There are organic teas from the Brew Tea Company, Workshop coffees, cocktails, mocktails, as well as all the usual suspects – draft beers, soft drinks, and a well-stocked wine-list.

Located just next to Sheffield United Football Club and a stone’s throw away from the city centre, it was important for dō deli to keep the city close to heart too. Locally sourced ingredients are the cornerstone of the food at dō deli, best celebrated with their Braised Barnsley chop served with Hendo’s on the side. James McDevitt, General Manager at DoubleTree by Hilton Sheffield City, is looking forward to seeing dō deli open its doors in Sheffield: “We firmly believe that this innovative dining concept will not only enhance our in-house guest experience but also attract the local community. The vision for dō deli is exciting.”

@dodeli_sheffield

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NAPOLEONS CASINO & RESTAURANT

THE PLACE

Since its establishment in 1996, Napoleons in Owlerton has been a cornerstone of entertainment in Sheffield. Situated on Penistone Road, the venue isn’t just about gaming; it’s also a preferred destination for gourmet dining at unbeatable value.

The ‘Dine in Style’ package is particularly popular, offering an exceptional deal for punters: a welcome drink, a three-course meal and a £5 gaming chip, all from just £30 per person. Upon arrival on a Thursday evening, we were promptly guided to the stylish dining area, where we were warmly welcomed and seated before drinks orders were promptly taken.

The dinner menu offers a wide range of dishes that blend classic British fare with international influences. You can expect to find options like rich, hearty steaks and burgers, fresh seafood and vibrant vegetarian dishes.

THE FOOD

For starters, two of our group of four were tempted by the Smoked Haddock & Onion Bhaji – two chunks of breaded smoky haddock served inside a crispy bhaji with spiced Kormascented hollandaise sauce. A poached egg added richness, while poppadom shards and coriander oil were a nice Indianinspired touch bringing crunchy, fresh contrasts.

Also ordered was the Whipped Chicken & Duck Liver Parfait – a rich, silky spread served on brioche toast, nicely paired with crunchy chorizo crumbs and caramelised oranges cutting through the savoury with sweet, citrusy burst. The final of the four – and eventually declared winner – were the Goats Cheese & Pesto Bon Bons: three arancini-style balls

bursting with creamy cheese and paired with a tangy rustic tomato sauce.

Taste buds considerably sharpened, we progressed to the mains. Napoleons has long-been known for good steak, and the 8oz Ribeye continued its winning streak: generously marbled, juicy and tender in texture, and accompanied by mammoth crispy onion rings, moreish Parmesan truffle fries and a luxurious peppercorn sauce.

You may not, however, have the venue pegged as a place that specialises in risotto, but the Wild Mushroom Risotto was a comforting dish with earthy mushrooms, roasted asparagus, rich black garlic dressing and a crunchy finish from Italian cheese crisps – nicely balanced with a winning umami taste.

The Slow Cooked Beef Brisket was another example

The tender, flavorsome brisket was complemented by smoky mashed potatoes, sweet, charred shallots, beef fat-glazed carrots and a mini Yorkshire pudding adding a classic touch.

The final dish, and the most impressive in my opinion, was the Herb Roasted Chicken Supreme. Juicy confit chicken legs with crispy skin were perfectly paired with exceptional truffle croquettes. Finished with a velvety chicken butter sauce, sweetcorn purée, and tender baby leeks, it offered a delightful blend of textures and flavors.

Although fit to burst, we managed to round things off by sharing two excellent deserts.

The Chocolate & Hazelnut Delice offered decadent blend of smooth chocolate and crunchy hazelnuts, balanced by refreshing mango sorbet and gel,

while the Burnt Basque Vanilla Cheesecake combined creamy, caramelised vanilla with a tangy summer berry compote and crisp honey tuile for a sweet end to the evening.

THE VERDICT

Whether you’re a seasoned foodie or just seeking a quality meal at a great price, Napoleons exceeds expectations, making it a top choice for dining and a night out in the Steel City. Our top tip? Their recent offers include an extended steak and cocktail menu where you can enjoy a pairing for £20 (MonWeds) or two cocktails for £10 between 6-8pm daily.

of comfort food done well.

FOOD AND DRINK LAITHWAITES WINE FESTIVAL

GRAPE EXPECTATIONS

Wine enthusiasts in Sheffield are in for a corker this November as the renowned Laithwaites Wine Festival makes its way to the city for the first time. Set for Friday 15 November at Trafalgar Warehouse, this event promises an evening brimming with a diverse selection of wines from around the globe, where attendees can explore and sample more than 100 wines from 20 different producers.

Laithwaites Wine Festival has a long-standing tradition of bringing exceptional wines to the public, with roots tracing back to the 1980s when the first festival was held in London. Over the decades, it has grown into one of the most anticipated wine events in the UK, known for its broad range of offerings and a fun, engaging atmosphere. This year, the family-run company have decided to take the festival on the road, with Sheffield being one of the key stops on its northern tour, alongside Manchester and Leeds.

“We’ve been running events since the 80s, starting with our wine festival in London. It’s our way of bringing all of our producers together and offering the public a chance to taste a wide array of wines, from sparkling champagnes to rare reds, from all around the world,” Laithwaites representative Rachel Kemp told Exposed. “This year, we’re excited to bring the festival to Sheffield for the first time, and we’ve chosen the Trafalgar Warehouse for its cool, urban, industrial feel – and there’ll also be the opportunity to enjoy cocktails and food pairings from local producers.”

Attendees can expect an impressive lineup of wines from France, Italy, Spain, Australia and South Africa. The festival is not just about tasting; it’s a personable experience where guests can learn about the wines and the stories behind them directly from the producers. The event will also feature Laithwaites’ famous half-price champagne offer, just in time for the festive season, making it an

ideal opportunity to stock up on bargains for Christmas.

One of the unique features of this year’s festival is the introduction of ‘Merlot on the Dance Floor’ – an immersive experience that blends music with wine tasting. “The idea is that music can alter your perception of the wine you’re tasting. We’ve set up silent disco headsets so that people can enjoy the music while exploring the different wines. It turns into a bit of a party as well,” Rachel added.

Laithwaites is committed to supporting family-run wine producers, many of whom have had relationships with the company for over 50 years. In addition to the vast selection of wines, the festival will include a cheese and wine masterclass, pairing some of the finest

Alessandro Gallici brings fun, joy and great Prosecco

cheeses with the wines on offer. Local food producers have also been invited to participate, adding a Steel City flavour to the event.

The Trafalgar Warehouse, located on Trafalgar Street in Sheffield city centre, is the perfect spot for the festival, combining accessibility with an edgy, industrial charm. The venue, already known for hosting the Indie Beer Feast and Sheffield Beer Week, will be transformed into a wine lover’s paradise for one night only.

Tickets for the event are on sale now and are expected to sell out quickly. Priced at £35 per person, the ticket includes all wine tastings, the cheese and wine masterclass, and access to the Merlot on the Dance Floor experience. Whether you’re a seasoned wine aficionado or just looking for a memorable night out with pals, scan the QR code below to book your ticket.

EVENT: LAITHWAITES WINE FESTIVAL

DATE: FRIDAY 15 NOVEMBER

TICKETS: £35pp (use QR or visit laithwaites.co.uk/festivalnorth) SOCIALS: @LAITHWAITES.WINE

Tune in, sip … and see how music influences the way you taste with the silent disco

FOOD AND DRINK THE BEATEN TRACK @ WIG & PEN

THE BEAT GOES ON

More than three years after it closed down for good following the Covid lockdowns, The Wig and Pen on Campo Lane is now under new ownership and has finally reopened its doors.

The popular and historic boozer, whose building dates back to the 19th century and backs onto the picturesque Paradise Square, has been taken over by Chris Harris, who boasts 15 years of experience in hospitality.

With a slight name change to The Beaten Track at The Wig and Pen, and a subtle refurb, the site began its new life as a cocktail bar just over three weeks ago, offering two cocktails for just £10, as well as coffees and a selection of craft beers.

“I’ve been renovating it for the last 11 weeks or so, trying to make it a comfortable, relaxing space,” explains Chris. “It was kind of a bit of a dust ball and a little bit rundown, but I’ve been turning it into what is primarily a cocktail bar, with a broad scope for a bit of everything.

“We’re doing two cocktails for £10, but not just two woo woos for a tenner—proper, good-quality cocktails.

“I think we miss a bit more of a calm bar where it’s not packed in with music pumping so no one can talk to you. I want it to be a place where you can come and have a chat and relax.”

Food is set to be provided by Shoot the Bull, whom you might recognise from the city centre food hall, Sheffield Plate. They will be providing pizzas, nibbles, and bar snacks to accompany the classic cocktail menu.

Chris said: “They’re an independent business selling food in here. I’m not exactly sure what their whole plans are, but they’re going to be doing pizzas and nibbles. I describe my vision for what they’re doing as more like incidental food, where you come in, you decide you want to get something, you maybe share a pizza, you maybe share some nibbles.”

The location and history have been an important part of Chris’s decision to take on the venue, and this also prompted the tweak to the name.

“The Beaten Track is just a little bit out of the way. Even though it’s dead in the city centre, right behind the cathedral, it’s kind of a little Bermuda Triangle in Sheffield.

“I love this area around Paradise Square. It’s kind of like Sheffield’s Shambles around here. You get a lot of people walking through. There’s plenty

of foot traffic, but it’s a little bit out of the way from your normal routes through town.

“You still hear the city, but it’s kind of like its own little pocket. The place has a lot of history, but it’s not necessarily the same place it once was, and the area has changed; it’s not primarily lawyers and journalists around here now, so I don’t need to keep it what it was, as a place where secrets were told.

“It can be an inclusive space, catering to everyone. It’s right behind one of the city’s most iconic buildings, and hopefully, with the regeneration of Castlegate, it puts this area on the map a bit more, and people begin braving it down here more as well.”

Chris has worked in hospitality for the past 15 years, primarily for Ego Mediterranean, but decided now was the time to go out on his own.

“I was working all the hours and had saved up a bit, so I thought I’d try and do the same but for myself, and take a punt on it.

“I’m getting to the age where if I didn’t do it now, I would

probably never do it, so I spent a year and a bit looking for venues, and this was just sitting here, and no one seemed interested in it.

“It just kind of got forgotten because of Covid, but I’d walked past it plenty of times, and I wanted a place in town; I wanted a bar that I could mold into whatever I wanted and create a community around that, so it fit the bill.

“It’s been a rollercoaster, but it’s going well so far.”

The Beaten Track at The Wig and Pen is open from Monday - Thursday 12 – 11pm and Friday and Saturday from 12pm – 1am. @thebeatentracksheff

BOUNDING FORWARDS

No Bounds Festival returns for its 7th edition to venues across Sheffield this autumn, held from 11th to 13th October.

Continuing to celebrate the city’s love of art, music and technology, this year’s theme ‘Agency and Revelation’ sheds light on hidden stories and spaces interwoven in Sheffield’s cultural fabric. The festival highlights connections between communities and opens up new conversations, inspiring audiences to engage with Sheffield’s culture in innovative ways.

Already announced for the festival are big names like Grammy-winner Flowdan, multi-disciplinary DJ Manuka Honey and Timedance’s Batu.

The impressive lineup of established and up-and-coming artists will perform across a multitude of Sheffield and Rotherham venues, kicking off with the opening concert at Sheffield Cathedral.

Among the new announcements is the lead commission created by Mark Fell, whose interactive installation ‘Cole’s Hidden Corners’ will celebrate Sheffield’s historic and contemporary contributions to electronic music worldwide.

The experiment opens the doors to the iconic Cole Brothers’ building in Barker’s Pool, previously home to John Lewis, for an exclusive opportunity to explore the hidden depths of the long-concealed space. In a one-hour slot, visitors are invited to play the role of performer for a once-in-a-lifetime chance to create synthetic sounds,

with no musical knowledge or ability required.

Also announced is the cross-city exhibition ‘Entanglement, Commons and Cultural Mycelium’ from Amy Carter Gordon, Curator and Innovation Manager of Hallam’s Culture and Creativity Research Institute. The project spans six venues, investigating connections across Sheffield’s cultural landscape through film, installations and performances, and features the work

of many artist-researchers at Sheffield Hallam.

“The symbiosis between artists, researchers and communities, forged in the intrinsic creativity of South Yorkshire is ignited at the festival at the coalescence of art, music and technology,” Amy explained. “My programme creates a meandering trail, much of which could be walked, throughout various locations in the city. It seeks to level our communal experience of art; creating an experiential guide to culture in unexpected places and spaces.”

No Bounds is in the process of finalising a programme of artists for beloved DIY venue Delicious Clam, which joins the festival to showcase some of the best alternative music from Sheffield and beyond.

These additions will feature alongside a whole host of newly unveiled original performances, workshops and networking events, including DJ World Premieres and brand-new artist collaborations.

For the latest updates and the full lineup of announced artists, visit the No Bounds website (noboundsfestival.co.uk) and check out their Instagram (@ noboundsfestivaluk).

Photo: Frankie Casrtillo

2 - 4 - £10 COCKTAILS til 10pm every day.

Monday - Thursday 12 - 11p Friday & Saturday 12 - 1am 44-46 Campo Lane, S1 2EG

PREACHING TRUTHS

“From a very young age I felt like I was on the outside of society”: Polish-born, Sheffield-based Szopa on how his Eastern European upbringing shaped his new album The Prayerbook

Raised in the small Polish town of Swiebodzin, Szopa had a traditional Eastern European upbringing centring around religion, hierarchy and conservative values. Moving to the UK ten years ago on a university scholarship, he was finally granted the opportunity to express himself and explore his natural creativity. After a 24-hour bus journey to England, Szopa started his new life here, high on the feeling of no longer living in fear.

Yet, it’s Szopa’s previous life in Poland that has influenced his musical direction. The initial sounds you hear on his new album The Prayerbook are the bellowing sound of church bells, followed by deep angelic vocals. His childhood, as many others in rural Poland, placed religion and faith at its pinnacle. Szopa’s music is a showcase of personal reflections, with free rein to explore the questions he holds about corruption and deceit within the religious institutions that raised him.

Szopa describes ‘Mercy’ as the angriest track on the album. What began as an anti-religion anthem turned into a song for sparking critical conversation about faith and holy figures.

Similarly, the punchy lyrics of ‘St Camille’ demonstrate an irony within religious practices that rings true for Szopa – one where Poland’s poor offer goods to priests, saints and clergymen, despite barely being able to make ends meet themselves. It’s these questions and moral interrogations that underpin The Prayerbook: an assessment of whether religion itself causes harm, or just those who abuse it.

Szopa’s self-released second album came out on 16 August. You can find it on all available streaming services, as well as at www.szopa.bandcamp.com, along with some very unique merch, including handmade beanies and rosary beads crafted by the artist himself.

What brought you to Sheffield?

Originally, when I moved to the UK, I started a university degree in Derby where I studied psychology. Afterwards, I wanted to move to a bigger city and see where life took me. Sheffield is very green, which was something that really drove me here. I had to do jobs as a kitchen porter and a cleaner to settle down and figure out my financial situation. That’s also when I started looking for a music producer to start working with and I met NORT, who is quite attached to Sheffield’s music scene.

I don’t know what it is about Sheffield, but it has a different feel than other places in the UK. It has a very close-knit community, and whatever I find myself looking for, whether it’s a job, music opportunities or making friends, it always ends up being something bigger than I anticipated and a very positive experience. I can’t imagine living anywhere else!

What was your upbringing in Poland like?

I was born in a small town called Swiebodzin in the west of the country. I don’t have many positive memories of growing up there and it was a difficult

place to grow up if you were different from the rest of the crowd. From a very young age, I felt like I was on the outside of society. Being neurodivergent without a diagnosis, and figuring out in my teenage years that I wasn’t straight, it didn’t feel like a welcoming environment to grow up in. It’s a small town with a lot of issues with racism and homophobia, and it was a very religious community. I was secretive growing up to avoid drawing too much attention to myself, but it’s not something you can necessarily hide. People will notice that you might be acting a bit different or you might have slightly different preferences.

I did find an escape through art classes in the local hall with some amazing teachers and I started getting interested in music when I was about 13. Then things got a tiny bit darker when I was a teenager and I started having some mental health issues which related to not being able to talk to anyone and being a very small Christian community. Every person who was a bit different just kept to themselves. My friends and family thought I was moving to the UK because of my university opportunity, but to me it was a way to escape a toxic environment. It was a very positive experience from the start. I was appreciating any amount of free space that I was getting, even if it wasn’t great by other people’s standards. I felt like I could be myself for the first time in 20 years which was both a shocking and therapeutic experience. Having that much freedom really shed a lot of light on how my life looked prior and how much I lived in survival mode.

What is your new album The Prayerbook all about?

I started writing the album about two and a half years ago whilst I was having ideas connected to religion. One of the first songs was ‘Mercy’ which has very controversial lyrics. I started writing it after watching a documentary about a small Mormon community in the US because I recognised certain tricks that those with religious authority used. It started off as a bit of an angry song that was supposed to be almost anti-religion. I left it for a few months and then I realised that actually religion is supposed to be wholesome, but the way it’s been undermined and personal agendas have got involved, it’s changed what it is. So I started writing more songs about religious authority. I understand how that could come across as quite abstract to someone who didn’t grow up in Eastern Europe and without certain family practises.

One of the songs that I’m most proud of is ‘St Camille’ which includes some lyrics in Polish. It felt very personal, and it’s a reflection on experiencing first-hand the abuse that the Catholic Church has committed in the name of religion. And

WORDS KATHRYN SCHOON

it’s a pretty ironic song that portrays an image of people who don’t have much to offer, discarding their goods to supply them to a figure of St Camille. In that song I create a role reversal where St Camille, being the patron of the sick, gains power and satisfaction from making people sick. It was partially inspired by a Polish tradition where priests visit families to bless their households, and they receive money in envelopes for doing that service.

It’s a strange thing to talk about because you really don’t want to attack other people’s comfort zones because it’s not an attempt at criticising religion itself, it’s an attempt at criticising what is wrong with abusing religion and religious influence. So it’s something that’s difficult to convey as a message and I only hope that I did a good job with that on the album.

What impact are you hoping for with your new album?

This is one of the biggest releases I’ve

done and it’s been crazy. I’ve had much more confidence as a producer and as a songwriter this time. It’s an interesting and controversial subject and I feel like I did a pretty good job creating these songs. I decided to do the crazy thing of selfreleasing which is an expensive endeavour with massive risk. But making music is

the only thing that brings me satisfaction through self-expression, so I thought let’s print all the vinyls, let’s print all the CDs, let’s spread the word and see what type of reception I get.

In terms of what I hope to achieve, I genuinely don’t have massive expectations. I had a tiny bit of success with streams on a few songs like ‘Lore’, which was a lovely thing to see, but it wasn’t my main aim. I want to exist on my tiny little computer but be played on speakers in other people’s houses as well.

I’ve also made a crapload of merch, and I think people are going to really like it. I made handknitted beanies because I’m against outsourcing labour from factories. I made rosaries with upside down crosses that I cast from resin myself. You can find them along with my vinyls, CDs and stickers on my Bandcamp.

@szopa_ // szopa.bandcamp. com

FLOAT ALONG FESTIVAL

Float Along Festival is making its highly anticipated return on 28 September 2024, taking over Sheffield’s city centre with a stellar lineup spread across iconic venues The Leadmill, Sidney & Matilda and Corporation. Now in its third instalment, you can expect a vibrant mix of indie, alternative, post-punk and psychedelic rock heading to the city’s most beloved independent venues.

The likes of Shame, Snapped Ankles, Fat Dog, Anthony Smierek and Crack Cloud are on the bill, alongside a wide mix of DJ sets taking proceedings through to the early hours.

Festival director Mar Dunn said of the event: “Last year marked the second Float Along Festival and we were blown away by the positive reception. It feels great to be welcoming people back to Sheffield’s vibrant culture quarter this September for a day of carefully curated live music across numerous stages and venues. The close proximity of the venues and careful programming are crucial to us to ensure attendees have the best possible experience. We hope you enjoy this year as much as we did last year!”

Live music kicks off at 1pm and runs until 11pm (14+), followed by DJ sets from 11pm until late (18+). Tickets (£35) and full listings at floatalong.co.uk.

LOS CAMPESINOS

FOUNDRY // 20 SEPT // £20

You! Me! Dancing! Catch Los Campesinos!, touted as the the UK’s first and only true emo band, live as they bring their emotionally charged, indie-infused sound to the stage. Known for their raw honesty, intricate lyrics and unforgettable live shows, expect a nostalgic tour through the band’s discography. foundry.seetickets.com

SLOTFACE

HALLAMSHIRE HOTEL // 30 SEPT // £14

Hailing from their native Norway with a fantastically artful twist on punk music, the critically acclaimed band Slotface brings their energetic and socially conscious sound to the Hallamshire Hotel for an intimate headline show. Support from SUDS. theleadmill.seetickets.com

MALAH PALINKA, THE LEMUR CONSPIRACY, MAX MARLOW

SIDNEY & MATILDA // 14 SEPT // £12

A fun night of local music bursting with grooves awaits as funk and jazz fusion ensemble Malah Palinka headline, joined by the equally danceable and jazz-infused band The Lemur Conspiracy. Throw in support from London-based DJ/drummer Max Marlow and you’re guaranteed some unbeatable party vibes. sidneyandmatilda.com

KATHRYN WILLIAMS AND WITHERED HAND (DAN WILLSON)

GREYSTONES // 29 SEPT // £17

Join Mercury Music Prize nominee Kathryn and cult indie singer-songwriter Dan Willson (Withered Hand) for an intimate gig at the Greystones. Kathryn, with 16 albums and collaborations with legends like Paul Weller and Damien Rice, and Dan, whose acclaimed albums have made waves in the indie scene, promise an evening of heartfelt live performance. mygreystones.co.uk

DON'T MISS!

FOR THE RECORD

Enterprising students at the University of Sheffield have launched Octagon Records, a brand-new record label helping local musicians develop their skills and break into the music industry.

Octagon Records hosted its first open mic night in September 2023, and in less than a year it has established strong links with organisations set to transform music-making dreams into reality. The label is entirely run and managed by students, and is thought to be the first of its kind in the UK.

Mia Sedgwick, a musician and member of Octagon Records’ student committee, said: “Octagon Records gives students the freedom to explore their own passions and interests, the flexibility to do it alongside their degree, and the support and knowledge from industry professionals to allow them to flourish. To me, joining was a no-brainer!”

The record label is a fantastic springboard to help students gain experience in a range of careers. As well as publishing music, Octagon Records works with musicians to develop their skills in promoting and distributing music and managing events. The label is proving invaluable in helping the next generation of artists navigate the music-making world by supporting their first steps.

Since working with Octagon Records, musician Leo HC has gone from playing open mic nights at the University’s pub to performing at Sheffield’s Tramlines Fringe Festival.

Leo explained:  “I think Octagon Records is super important because, as a student, it’s already hard enough to make yourself heard, let alone as an artist. I think the leg up they provide into the world of music, whether that be by helping to record, release, or perform it all while being students themselves is vital to keeping young musicians creating and keeping them inspired.”

Supported by the University of Sheffield music department and Hudson Records, the label’s high tech equipment puts its musicians at the cuttingedge of music production, also facilitating campaigns, live streams and music videos to promote artists online. The label offers the opportunity to connect students with industry professionals, hosting a series of mentoring opportunities and masterclasses to give insight into management in the live and recorded music scene.

Musician Sophie Steele, who takes inspiration from a range of genres including jazz and folk, said: “Working with Octagon Records gave me a wonderful first taste of what it will be like going

into the music industry and for that I am very grateful. They were attentive, willing to listen to my concerns and be there to help and be efficient all while trying to complete a degree of their own.”

Octagon Records already has a number of success stories, helping student musicians launch their careers amongst a community of likeminded peers.

Mia added: “In today’s competitive music industry, projects which provide experience like this are incredibly valuable when it comes to employability. And to be able to do it alongside a degree just adds even more value to the experience.”

To follow Octagon Records and learn more about their artists, follow @ octagonrecordssheffield.

THINGS TO DO

OUT AND ABOUT

From bustling street food markets to live skate jams, here are some of our favourite shindigs taking place over the next few weeks.

THE STEAMWORKS NIGHT MARKET SOCIAL

5 September

Night Market Social heads to The Steamworks this month. With over 40 independent traders, the unique market offers something for everyone, also featuring live music, delicious street food and an array of cocktails and local beers. Experience the finest goods from Sheffield’s vibrant local business scene at the Highfield venue on the edge of the city centre.

Night Market Social is open 5pm-10pm on Thursday 5th September, with tickets available via Eventbrite. @the_steamworks

PEDDLER MARKET

SHEFFIELD No.86

6–7 September

Sheffield’s biggest street food party returns to the Peddler Warehouse this month for two nights of unmissable market stalls, live music, entertainment, drinks and of course, food!

With stalls offering bites from an array of different cuisines and diets, Peddler Market is widely recognised as one of the UK’s best street food events, famed for its quality produce and bustling atmosphere. For 9 years the market has brought foodies from across the region, and has since expanded beyond Sheffield to Chesterfield, Wakefield and Leeds. The market not only boasts delicious food, but also features local makers and talented small businesses from the vibrant indie trade scene of Sheffield, including lifestyle brands, sustainable makes, fashion and art.

Peddler’s 86th Market is open 5-11pm on Friday 6th September, and 12-11pm on Saturday 7th September. @peddlermkt

SHEFFIELD SHOWCASE

6–8 September

Sheffield Showcase is back for its fourth year with a jam-packed weekend of culture and arts events taking place across the city. Featuring work by a multitude of artists, musicians, speakers, heritage enthusiasts and filmmakers, visitors are invited to explore the huge array of talent on show through a range of live shows and exhibits.

The collaborative showcase, taking place from 6th to 8th September, combines a wide variety of independent events hosted at many of Sheffield’s most beloved venues including parks, galleries, museums and clubs. The Steel City is gaining recognition as a cultural hub of artistic talent, and with the weekend-long showcase boasting such an eclectic mix of events, workshops and exhibitions, it’s easy to see why.

One of the most notable events on this year’s programme offers visitors the chance to ‘Walk the Streets in the Sky’ at Park Hill Flats. The Grade II listed building will open its balconies and corridors for free 90-minute tours led by its residents, where visitors will learn about the iconic history and legacy of the site, while also taking a trip to a refurbished flat.

The showcase will feature numerous exhibitions and open studios, including the annual Art in the Gardens festival at Sheffield Botanical Gardens. GLOAM Gallery will be home to Nathan Walker’s Twenty Truant Shapes, a fascinating exhibition exploring language, the body, sound and light. In addition, ArtWorks will be hosting an Open Studio visit at Wharncliffe Works - the organisation supports artists with learning disabilities, autism or both, to flourish and pursue their creative passions.

Full programme of events and times at www.ourfaveplaces.co.uk

CASTLEGATE FESTIVAL 14 September

Castlegate’s biggest street party is back at Exchange Street on Saturday 14th September, showcasing the finest local street food, live music, activities and independent vendors.

From 2pm, the event will be home to the annual Marioland skate event hosted by Skateboard GB with cash for tricks, and all are welcome to take part. DJ and producer Halogenix will headline the programme of live music from 4pm-10pm on the Exchange Street stage, along with other artists including Kate Bosworth and Goldivox, with many more still to be announced. The lineup will be followed by afterparties at Castlegate venues Plot 22, Delicious Clam and Panke Social into the early hours of Sunday morning.

With free entry day and night, the festival is jam-packed with entertainment and fun for everyone to enjoy.

Castlegate Festival is open from 2pm on Exchange Street, Saturday 14th September.

- 2-4.30pm Skateboard GB’s Skate Jam @ Marioland Skate Park

- 4-10pm Live music and DJs

- 10pm-4am Exchange Street Venues afterparties @castlegatefestival

QUAYSIDE MARKET

14-15 September

Quayside Market returns to Victoria Quays canal basin in Sheffield’s Castlegate Quarter on Saturday 14th – Sunday 15th September. With a lineup of awardwinning street food, craft beer and local small business stalls, Sheffielders are thrilled to welcome back the festival for a weekend of fun-filled entertainment. The market will also feature a range of family activities including arts and crafts for everyone to enjoy, as well as a programme of live musicians and DJs taking place throughout the two-day event.

Quayside Market opens 12pm-9pm on Saturday 14th September, and 10am4pm on Sunday 15th September. @quaysidesheffield

POLLEN MARKET

15 September

Back for another month, Castlegate’s Grey to Green corridor will host Sheffield’s beloved Pollen Market on Sunday 15th September. The botanical extravaganza will be celebrating its 3rd birthday this month with a host of amazing stalls, also featuring a range of live music performances and family activities. The market showcases all things arty, green and independent, uniting the people of Sheffield and beyond through a love of local talent and artistry.

The Pollen Market is open from 10am4pm on Sunday 15th September.

@pollenmarketsheffield

FESTIVAL OF THE MIND

19-29 September

Hosted by the University of Sheffield, Festival of the Mind is back for its biennial celebration of cutting-edge collaborative projects and artistic talent from Sheffield’s leading academics and creative minds. The 11-day festival will invite the public to explore the world-class work going on behind university walls. From engineering to literature, science to architecture, Festival of the Mind transforms innovative academic research into exciting and accessible creative projects for all to discover.

Opening in Barker’s Pool for another year, the festival will be centred in the iconic Spiegeltent, a concert hall formed of wood, canvas and ornate stained-glass windows. The events will take place in a variety of venues across the city including the Millennium Gallery and Event Central on Fargate, with the 2024 programme available at festivalofthemind.sheffield. ac.uk.

@festivalofthemind

ONLY CLAY CERAMICS FAIR 5-6 October

Ceramics festival Only Clay is back for another year, nestled in the heart of Sheffield’s historical industrial scene at Kelham Island Museum. This year, Only Clay is partnering with Yellow Arch Studios as the location for the show’s afterparty, where potters and visitors are invited to enjoy live music and share their love of ceramics at one of Sheffield’s most iconic venues.

This year’s featured artist, Wendy Lawrence (wlawrenceceramics.com), creates beautiful ceramic sculptures for gardens and homes. Wendy takes inspiration from textures found in natural geological forms seen on her walks in North Wales, her work also being informed by architecture and antiquity.

Only Clay champions all kinds of ceramicists who are keen to share their passion for pottery with the world, featuring both practical pieces and wonderfully wacky ceramic sculptures. Visitors can browse for anything from unusual gifts, designer tableware or unique statement pieces for the home, all while meeting the makers themselves. Only Clay opens 10am-5pm on Saturday 5th October, and 10am4.30pm on Sunday 6th October. Tickets are available for £5 on the door, with under 16s going free.

@onlyclay_2023

THINGS TO DO

Learn, Play and Socialise!

Finding good quality activities for you and your little one to enjoy can be difficult. Playtimes’ sensory classes provide a huge range of unique, beautifully presented activities to help you bond with your young one within a safe, calm and relaxed play environment.

Designed for ages 0-4 years, our 20+ themes will take you and your child through a multitude of enriching play activities in structured 60-minute sessions. The magical-themed experiences include fairytale and fantasy worlds, dinosaur island and a teddy bear’s picnic, equipped with hand-selected play resources, music, dress-up and a wide variety of tactiles and textures to discover.

Playtimes’ professional class leaders are trained in early years education, bringing out the best for your child in facilitating their learning and development goals. They work to ensure a fun weekly routine for parents and children alike, building confidence and engaging little ones in learning through play and sensory exploration. Their open discovery play section offers opportunities to strengthen essential skills through creative activities such as tower block building, developing eye tracking, gross and fine motor skills and

hand-eye coordination.

You and your child are in good hands, with Playtimes being the Parent and Baby Award Winner for ‘Best Baby & Preschool Class Provider’ in South Yorkshire for three consecutive years –2021, 2022, and 2023.

At Playtimes, the aim is to light up your child’s learning journey while also offering plenty for parents to enjoy, with food and drink refreshments available from their on-site tea house. Immerse yourself in a world of sensory experiences and see your child flourish within a fun-filled, supportive and nurturing environment.

Book now!

Tel: 0114 4492928

Web: playtimes-sheffield.co.uk

Email: info@playtimes-sheffield.co.uk

Address: Playtown Imaginary Role Play Centre, Sheffield, S9 2PR. Free on street parking available.

WHAT ARE BABY SENSORY CLASSES?

How old does my child need to be to attend a baby sensory class?

The great thing about these sensory classes is that your little one can attend right from birth! In a formal class setting, your baby will be placed into an age-specific group that takes their developmental stage into account. However, if you’re attending a class as a one-off, you might notice a wider range of ages among the babies present.

What happens at a sensory class with your baby?

These classes are designed to engage your baby’s senses through a variety of activities. The class typically begins with a welcome song to signal the start, followed by sensory play sessions led by the class leader. You’ll find plenty of props and equipment used throughout, including bubbles, lights and sounds. Playtimes sensory classes follow a structured plan focused on key developmental milestones for your baby. There’s also time at the end of the class for your little one to explore the sensory environment on their own in a safe play area.

What are the benefits of sensory classes for babies and toddlers?

During these classes, your baby will develop self-awareness and an awareness of others around them. Their physical skills, especially coordination, will improve as they engage in activities like tummy time, physical touch, and active movement. Additionally, your baby’s communication skills will be nurtured through singing and nursery rhymes.

What is the cost of baby sensory classes?

The cost of these classes is £10.55 per session, and you can book them in blocks of consecutive sessions or as a trial class, subject to availability.

What can I expect during a Playtimes sensory class?

You can expect purposeful play activities, music and movement, colorful lights, bubbles, dressing up, fun props, imaginative play, puppets, parachute activities, eye-tracking and coordination exercises, and speaking and listening development techniques. Plus, there’s a ‘selfie corner’ where you can take photos of yourself and your child enjoying Playtimes!

It’s September, which means the city will soon start getting busy again as the students return. Whether you are new to Sheffield, a returning student, or here year-round, we have plenty of queer happenings for you to explore. Kicking things off this month, we have Mandala Fest 24 [Sun 1 Sep], a day-long musical jamboree extravaganza featuring 20+ back-to-back local acoustic artists and poets at Mandala’s recently expanded home in Heeley. Mandala’s own Adam Heys will also be taking to the stage at Diversity Fest [Sat 28 Sep], which returns to Sharrow Community Forum at the end of the month, also featuring Nisha Lall Dance, Sunrit Culture Group, Unbeatable Energy, Mulembas D’Africa, Fretworks, Kinaara, and The Skintones.

There’s more live music over at Sidney and Matilda at Earwig Presents [Thu 5 Sep] from gender-bending feminists Piss Kitti, with support from Yutaniii and GTFODODGE. Andro and Eve are also heading to Sidney and Matilda for the seventh instalment of their Reyt Queer Do 7 – Back to the 90s Edition [Sun 22 Sep], an evening of queer performance hosted by drag queen Bipolar Abdul.

If you want to create or further develop your own drag monster performance, there are two more instalments of Camp Cryptid [Tue 3/10 Sep] this month, hosted by the iconic King Confuza, who will be sharing his insight into the world of alternative drag and guiding participants through the process of creating your monster persona, working towards the goal of producing a show on Saturday 14th December, platforming new and up-andcoming alternative drag artists (keep an eye on future columns for details of the night). If your dressing-up vibes are more camp than monster, then head to Dempseys for their Musical and Disney Night [Wed 11 Sep] – dressing as your favourite character is optional but highly encouraged.

We have plenty more drag happenings this month, with Emma Maezin playing host and getting the party started at Wadsley Bridge WMC,

SCHOOL’S IN!

supporting Dan Budd as Robbie Williams [Fri 13 Sep]. Emma will also be joining forces with Ditzy O’Darlin at Crystal Bar for Summer Drag Bingo [Sat 21 Sep]. Expect lots of dancing, confetti cannons, and maybe a bit of table dancing! DJ Tanya Minge will be hosting Drag Queen Bingo [Fri 20 Sep] at Malin Bridge Inn with a night full of naughty shenanigans, including the infamous bumhole bingo. Finally, we have the latest of RuPaul’s queens to visit the Steel City as Drag Race UK winner Danny Beard [Wed 11 Sep] heads to Leadmill with their full live band for a 5-star night of killer vocals, snappy comedy, put-downs, and pick-me-ups. We also have live comedy over at the Three Tuns with We Digress – A Post-Ironic Stand-Up Comedy Night [Thu 19 Sep], a queerfriendly space for acts outside of the mainstream comedy circuit.

In community happenings, we have NeuroQueer [Wed 18 Sep] at Central Library, where CJ DeBarra will be discussing their book, drawing on academic research and

personal experience to explore the raw realities of heartbreak, love, and sexuality, and delving into the complexities of desire. Sheffield’s queer youth charity, SAYiT, will be running LGBTQ+ Domestic Abuse Training [Wed 11 Sep], an online workshop to find out more about this important topic (keep an eye on their socials for a range of talks, training sessions, and educational events throughout the year).

And we have another busy month at our members-only queer venue, Gut Level. FLAW DJ Workshop & Social [Tue 3 Sep] is a space where LGBTQ+ people, women, and gender minorities can learn DJ skills or just share music and hang out with likeminded people in a welcoming space. Gut Pleasers [Wed 4 Sep] will be serving up a tasty communal meal because feasting with friends is one of life’s greatest pleasures! Peak Queer Adventures will be back for Craft Social [Wed 11 Sep]—come for a pint and a sew in good company. Bring along your craft or mending

projects on the go or learn some crafting skills.

Mondo Radio [Fri 6 Sep] takes over the bar for the evening with Solid State, bringing Real House, Disco, and Soul, Techno, Bass, and other eclectic flavours to the dancefloor. Effective Relief [Sat 7 Sep] have a lineup of Alex Aubyn, darkmavis, DJ Deep Heat, and Henderson with euphoric, glistening trance, squelchy progressive house, thumping techno, and everything in between and around. Finally, we have two editions of GL X Monkey Shoulder Presents [Thu 12/Sat 28 Sep]. On the 12th, the lineup features Nick Granata (Shovel Dance Collective), Kit Knight, Jennifer Reid, and Sheffield Rapper Team, and on the 28th, we have Marjai, Korra, and Diessa.

That’s your lot for this month. Make sure to check out the latest event announcements at www.facebook.com/ sheffieldlgbtevents.

DAVID FORREST

INTERVIEW: CHARLIE PARKER

It’s been a challenging and confusing time for Britain in the past month or so. Violence, rioting in the streets and farright nationalism are not particularly topics I would always choose to open a feature about the art of writing with, but what is writing if not unearthing that which hides amongst us all? How do we broach topics that are both as open as the time of day, yet often smothered and avoided when raised in contemporary conversation? That’s part of the issue, of course; the complexity of life ceases to be unravelled when quick, easy answers are all that are suggested in response to life’s dilemmas. However, as Alan Sillitoe wrote, ‘the art of writing is to explain the complications of the human soul with the simplicity that can be universally understood.’

This month’s writer might just be able to provide those answers to those difficult questions. Dr David Forrest is a Yorkshire scholar to say the least. A lecturer of Film and Television Studies at University of Sheffield, his latest work will strike a note with all in South Yorkshire and beyond: it is the BFI Film Classics book of Kes, arguably up there as one of the most beloved films in British history. The nation’s academic expert on the book’s author, Barry Hines, Filmurbia: Screening the Suburbs (Ed., 2017), Social Realism: Art, Nationhood and Politics (2013), Barry Hines: Kes, Threads and Beyond (2017), Shane Meadows and the British New Wave (2009), Screening South Yorkshire: The Gamekeeper and Looks and Smiles (2017) are just a few works of his that told me if anybody knew how to speak of state of the nation art, the struggles of Britishness and social realism, it just might be David Forrest.

We met in Coffee Revs at the University of Sheffield’s Student Union, allowing himself a rare break from summer dissertation marking. After ordering the drinks – an Americano for me, a fruit smoothie for him – he tells me, “Don’t start – it’s past my caffeine time.” I last saw him in a city centre pub where, as is his

wont to do, he bought me the first round: a lager and a pickled egg for us both. A change of drinking scenery if there ever was one, I recall we spoke of literature even then, and the impact on the literature world of the so-called Angry Young Men of postwar Britain.

I first met Dave at university where, as a frustrated student from an estate trying to make sense of this ‘higher education’ and ‘intellectualism’ stuff, he became the sounding board for my feelings of displacement and loneliness commonplace amongst working class students. And Forrest himself, as it turned out. “I have quite a complicated social background in terms of where I’m from and the different influences that shaped me,” he said, taking another sip. “I lived most of my formative years in a single parent household, but not in a kind of conventional way either. My mum is from a mining family, Irish immigrants, but equally is someone who saw the world and travelled and worked in education. Even though we lived on a council estate, we had loads of books in in the house, you know? So I would never want to say that I was someone who had a typical working class experience. What I did have was something which was quite contradictory and in between, and that’s that feeling of displacement, searching for some sense of belonging. And that’s one of the things that I’ve found in the work that I write about, and that I’m drawn to in terms of working class writing, is that often it’s about that split between two worlds. Something that is about education and work, or it might be about kinds of codes of masculinity, class and gender, these different scripts that are laid out for you, the tribes that you form yourselves within.”

This answer, quite naively, perplexed me somewhat; in terms of genres of writers, academic writers surely don’t still feel displacement and search for belonging. Do they?

Oh, yeah, absolutely! Probably more than ever. There’s increasingly an emphasis

on feeling that we have to perform our identities as a marker of qualification to speak about. Lived experience is really, really important, and it absolutely informs the way I see the world and the kinds of academic work that I do. Also, I would never want to speak with truth and conviction about a particular community, because I’m not sure that those communities really exist in a fixed way.” That’s another thing. The stories I’m interested in, how do they trouble those fixed ideas? A project I’m working on at the moment with Patrick Murphy is all about estates, the idea of cultural texts and creativity that comes out of estates. And there’s a particular view of an estate, which Lynsey Hanley writes about in her book, Estates: An Intimate History, that if you play word association with ‘estate’, people would just throw lots of pretty depressing and dehumanising adjectives at that word. Our project is about thinking about the creativity that’s been nurtured on estates. It’s also about the writers that have been on estates and the tension of having grown up on estates as a working class environment. It’s the tension between wanting to leave, making sense of it from a distance and wanting to stay and make sense of it from within. I lived on an estate. A brown brick, semi-detached in a village in West Yorkshire. That’s where I spent my formative years, and I would never dream speaking for the people on that estate, but I can certainly speak to my experience on that estate, and that’s given me a huge amount of knowledge, insight and, I suppose, wisdom. I’ve always said that there’s as much wisdom in that as there is in reading books. That’s the ideal: to have a combination of that lived experience alongside kind of more intellectually refined resources that you might get from reading.

What was it that drew you to academic writing?

At undergraduate level university, that’s kind of what you do. You write an essay, and then there comes a point where you

actually realise there is a purpose to that critical writing. What you’re doing is uncovering, discovering something, or bringing new perspective on something. As I was writing my master’s dissertation, I started to realise that I was really interested in British cultural texts that were regionally focused, and that were generating insight about the place that I came from, and therefore were helping me to make a bit more of a sense of the country as a whole as well. Up to that point, I probably had a view of study, which was like, ‘okay, great, it’s interesting to find out about stuff’, and that’s really important, but becoming a writer, becoming a scholar of film, literature and television, was realising that it had application which was saying something new about something seemingly quite familiar. You begin to ask yourself questions that are academic, but also have a kind of wider value and currency.

Do you find yourself drawn to social and cultural UK issues, predominantly?

You’ve written extensively on Kes, Barry Hines and, in particular, This Is England. Do you think these issues find you, in an abstract way?

I’m interested in how audiences react to find value in those sorts of stories. And I want to know why people’s reactions are often so impassioned. I see this with my students – why is it that students feel a deep connection to finding themselves in a story like Kes, which was released in 1969? People watch it and read the novel in which it’s based, and will often say to me, ‘That was my childhood, I see myself in it.’ And that’s the starting point, that point of recognition and identification of some kind of universal bridge. So I’m interested,

really, in that relationship between the universal and the specific. But it’s not for everybody. For some people, seeing reality presented back to them in film is something they actually do not want to see, because they are very much aware that every representation is a fictionalised representation. There’s something powerful about us understanding that, for some audiences, that resonance comes from recognition, and indeed might be a bridge to empathy. Kes is a really good example of that. It’s specific in terms of, this is a place that I know. These are people that I know. This person is playing themselves. The universality of it, which is where the poetry comes from, is taken from something which feels very, very real and very, very authentic, but you’ve raised it to the level where it’s about stuff that resonates with everybody.

Thinking about This Is England. It’s about coming of age, making sense of yourself, has similar themes, about education, about families, about finding joy in everyday life. Now those are things that are pretty universal, but you’re doing that in a vernacular which people have recognition of, and that’s really important.

That does lead us nicely onto the acts of writing itself like academic takes. Is it strictly almost a robotic exercise? Do your research, then structure around the research that you find? Obviously, you have certain expectations about academic scholarship. It needs a certain set of requirements in terms of rigour and originality. The Kes book, for example, is one you can buy in the shop for a reasonable amount of money, but it’s also a piece of academic scholarship. I draw on two sizable

archives, and I’ve generated some new knowledge and some new insights from the process of academic research sitting in those archives. I also hope that I’ve used language which is accessible and meaningful. That is a challenge, but I think all academic writing should be accessible, really. The skill of academic writing is making a complex idea seem straightforward and clear.

Speaking of clarifying complex ideas, did you enjoy writing your BFI Kes book? Was it difficult to try and find new avenues, or was it just a conveyance of something you’ve studied for a long, long time?

I really enjoyed the challenge of writing something which was grounded in my academic scholarship and was very much driven by the archives. I did new research for that work, and I went to new archives, but also I could go and talk about it to different audiences, and different audiences could connect with it. I was invited to give a talk in my old village about the book, and I was speaking to people from close to where Kes was set, and who had similar backgrounds and childhoods. I remember vividly actually using the same slides that I used to give a paper at a research seminar at university a few weeks before. So even though my language might be slightly different, the ideas weren’t. I really enjoyed that.

Your work often notes of writers’ displacement, frustration of circumstance, the constant need to prove oneself. That said, have you found much material resonated by the recent far-right riots?

I’m more interested in the wider belief that we have an unhelpful demarcation of culture and experience, and popular culture feels increasingly quite unrefined. We’re not really able to have difficult conversations with ourselves through a national popular culture. And that is something that I think many workingclass writers tended, historically, to be interested in, to utilise their writing as a mechanism for empathy, for helping people to read about lives that are different from theirs empathise and understand them. In order to do that, you’ve got to bring that material into the centre. And I think there’s a real danger, isn’t there, that we’re preaching to the converted? And I’m really interested in how to tackle those sorts of echo chambers. What does it really mean to have a popular culture that actually reflects the complexity of the nation and asks those sorts of difficult

QUICKFIRE QS...

How does a Yorkshireman become an Arsenal fan?

I lived in Sheffield until I was seven when my parents split up, then we moved away. There was no way I was going to support Sheffield Wednesday or Sheffield United because I’d left Sheffield, and equally I wasn’t then going to start supporting Leeds United, because everybody else was, and I knew I was different. I was new in this village, so I just watched the first team on the tele and saw Ian Wright. A six-year-old kid to see someone like that, when you’re open to everything, he was amazing.

Favourite Word?

Everyday

Least Favourite Word?

Feel. Everybody says ‘I feel like’ about everything nowadays. Far too much feeling, not enough commitment.

First film that inspired you to want to write?

Might have been The Firm, Alan Clarke. Not the Tom Cruise one!

One sentence advice? Read.

Unforgivable writer traits?

In academia, its intellectual peacocking. Being wilfully obscure.

You’ve got one minute with Ian Wright, what do you say?

I’d probably ask him if he knows how much he’s admired by people of my generation, and if he doesn’t know, I’ll tell him. I’d also thank him for everything. Arsenal win the league and Spurs beat you twice, or come second and double over Spurs? Arsenal win the league, every day of the week. That’d just sum up Spurs – they’d bring out a DVD about the game, while we’d be sat there with the prem. That’d be sweet. If we win 36 games and lose two to Spurs, that’d be hilarious.

A Pulitzer or a bestseller?

Bestseller. Not because of the money, but because it’d mean more people actually read your work.

questions? We haven’t really got that. I think something like This Is England, for example, is a brilliant example of a film that seeks to surface some of the problems of the deep problems of nativism, toxic nationalism, how that can intersect with toxic masculinity, feelings of displacement and thinking about where violent racism might come from. It doesn’t offer any easy answers, but it does help us to foster some degree of understanding, rather than what we’ve seen in certain elements of the discourse around us, which is a real dehumanisation on, frankly, on both sides of the discussion left and right. We’ve seen this utter, utter hatred of the ‘other’. How do we create cultural industries that are genuinely able to thrive and to foster those sorts of dialogues through our art? We don’t have that at the moment. Focusing on the everyday is something that is much more illuminating, because I think there’s more ambiguity in that, and we recognise that to present what’s going on out there at the moment (the riots) as culture wars is a gross simplification, and we have to create the space in cultural narratives for that nurturing of ambiguity and difference.

Tell us about the book you worked on, Black Arsenal. Well, I’m just one of many contributors. I was asked by an academic and good friend of mine Clive Nwonka at UCL. We’re really interested in sport, and the cultures around sport, how it offers a way in to thinking about the really complex questions of identity. How do we construct notions of national identity that are progressive and inclusive, but also recognise people feel part of something bigger than themselves? Nwonka talks about this concept of Black Arsenal with another academic, Paul Gilroy. He is a

really influential cultural studies theorist who writes a lot about race and culture. They had an event at The Barbican where they put forward the idea that Arsenal Football Club might be a way into thinking about complex notions of black British identity, and also Britishness. I was also thinking of the intersections of class too, as football is no longer a working-class sport. I’m quite unique in that I’m an Arsenal fan from Yorkshire, and one of the first questions he asked me was: what was it like to grow up in a predominantly white working class area in the north of England in the nineties with all your heroes being black men? In particular, black men embodying a particular kind of London culture at that time in the nineties, one where music, fashion and sport intersected? What I write about in the book is my experience of Arsenal playing at Barnsley in 1995. It was the first time I’d seen my heroes, Ian Wright in particular, yet at the time there was an awful atmosphere. I didn’t see until years later the extent of the horrific racial abuse he’d received. He talked about this experience, which then prompted the abuser to send Wright an apology letter saying how utterly ashamed they were and begged for forgiveness. Ian Wright has talked about that being how forgiveness is the only way we can move through some of those seemingly intractable racisms. On a larger sense, Black Arsenal made me think of the ways we think of the north and Yorkshire more specifically being quite narrow. Growing up in that period, whiteness was very firmly embedded within our mainstream culture of what it means to be from Yorkshire and estates.

Published

by Bloomsbury, BFI Film Classics – Kes by David Forrest is out now.

A NEW CHAPTER

After opening its doors in Crookes in late-July, Indie bookshop ‘Novel’ hopes to have found its forever home on School Road.

WORDS: RUBY DEAKIN // PHOTO: LIAM RIMMINGTON

Owners Kate and Joe first set up Novel as a travelling bookshop in Summer 2022, selling at markets and events across Sheffield. Their dreams of finding permanent premises have now become reality, and the shop has already attracted book-lovers from across the city in huge numbers.

Novel’s handpicked collection consists of the finest contemporary fiction and non-fiction from a broad range of genres, with many unique and thought-provoking titles.

Kate explained: “We wanted to avoid filling the shop with the books you can find in supermarkets or on the buy-one-get-one-half-price table at

Waterstones, but instead books which really leave an impression on the reader.”

With a distinct community-led approach, much of Novel’s collection consists of books recommended directly by their customers.

Kate said: “Back when we started Novel up, we had read and enjoyed everything we stocked. This model would be completely impossible after expanding to the full book shop, so it’s been great to get recommendations from others!”

While Novel will always be a bookshop first and foremost, Kate and Joe are committed to turning their spot into the ultimate hangout destination for the local community. The shop’s back-room has been transformed into a cosy café, boasting the finest baked goods and hot drinks from beloved bakery I Said Bread.

The shop will also allow the pair to expand the capacity of their regular book club meetings and set up other in-person events, hoping to host author meets and pop-ups once they’re settled in.

Novel is the latest addition to Sheffield’s ever-growing indie bookshop scene, making the Steel City a major destination for readers from far and wide.

“There has been a noticeable independent bookshop resurgence since lockdowns ended, and a growing enthusiasm for reading. We appreciate visiting other small businesses – each has their own distinct flavour and brings something exciting to the communities they serve,” Kate added.

novelsheffield.com // @ novelsheffield

A NEW CHAPTER

Comedians Richard Ayoade and Sara Pascoe are announced alongside international bestsellers Asako Yuzuki and David Nicholls as Off the Shelf tease their 2024 lineup.

Off the Shelf Festival of Words returns again this October to celebrate all things literary, bringing the best local, national, and international talent to Sheffield for its 33rd Edition. The lineup is already starting to take shape, spearheaded by three of the biggest names in British comedy.

Off the Shelf 2024 kicks off on Monday 7th October when Richard Ayoade, comedian and BAFTA winning ‘IT Crowd’ actor, will take to the stage at the Octagon Centre to discuss his new book The Unfinished Harauld Hughes – a novel chronicling Ayoade’s fictional quest to revive the works of a look-alike playwright. Sara Pascoe will headline the same stage later in the festival to share her debut fiction novel Weirdo, whilst Julian Clary is the third comedian to be announced so far and will be talking about his latest book Curtain Call to Murder.

Fans of hit the hit novel and Netflix adaptation One Day will be thrilled to see David Nicholls amongst the names already announced. Nicholls’ new novel You Are Here is a story of love in the Yorkshire Moors – a perfect headliner for the Crucible Theatre on Tuesday 22nd October.

Japanese author Asako Yuzuki has garnered international acclaim this year and will be at Off the Shelf to talk about Butter – Yuzuki’s cult bestseller based on the true story of a Tokyo serial killer.

Beloved author and former Poet Laureate of Scotland, Jackie Kay will deliver a reading from her new collection May Day on Thursday 24th October at The Montgomery Theatre, exploring the defining political movements of the last forty years.

David Olusuga and Yinka Olusaga will be in conversation with Professor Hugo Dobson at The Montgomery Theatre to discuss Black History for Every Day of the Year, a book celebrating Black history from ancient times to the modern day from the already well-known events and figures to the unsung heroes that deserve more attention.

The full lineup for Off the Shelf 2024 will be announced on September 4th, but you can already grab tickets for all the headliners announced so far at the website below. offtheshelf.org.uk

DON’T MISS! A DOLL’S HOUSE

Crucible // 21 Sept – 12 Oct // £15-£43

One of the most important plays of the 19th Century, Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House has moved audiences for nearly two-hundred years. This Autumn, Elin Schofield and Chris Bush bring the fate of Nora Helmer to the Crucible. sheffieldtheatres.co.uk

ART IN THE GARDENS

Botanical Gardens // 7 – 8 Sept // £0-£7

Art in the Gardens returns for its 21st year to Sheffield’s Botanical Gardens - one of the largest outdoor art markets in Northern England, celebrating the work of artists and makers from across the UK. The wide range of stalls will include a selection of jewellery, ceramics, fine art, sculpture, glass work and so much more, from both returning and brand-new vendors.

eventbrite.co.uk

STUNG

Playhouse // 9 Sept – 10 Sept // £13-£15

Based on a true story, Lynn Ludditt’s Stung arrives at the Playhouse. The play celebrates the North Derbyshire WASPI’s fight against the Government for gender equality and pension justice. sheffieldtheatres.co.uk

DIZZY

Playhouse // 25 Sept – 12 Oct // £15

Mohamed-Zain Dada’s Dizzy is an innovative blend of technology and storytelling, captivating audiences with the use of headphones to create a soundscape alongside the action on stage. Dizzy follows 15-year-old Qamar, a maths genius whose grief takes her into the world of street art. sheffieldtheatres.co.uk

JERWOOD SURVEY III

Site Gallery // 27 Sept – 26 Jan // Free Jerwood Survey will bring new and cuttingedge commissions from 10-early career artists to Sheffield’s Site Gallery. The exhibition will showcase how these artists are using a variety of artistic practices and media to address the pressing concerns that define the world today. www.sitegallery.org

SPIRIT OF INDEPENDENCE FILM FESTIVAL

Showroom Cinema // 27 – 29 Sept // £10£40

Showroom Cinema will be celebrating some of the finest independent films from around the world with three days of film screenings, industry talks and live podcasts. The festival will show both feature and short films, premieres and throwbacks. soifilmfestival.com

MADE IN SHEFFIELD

Following the FOREVER FOR NOW collection launch and exhibition at Factory Floor last month, we caught with Morgan Sidle, founder of Sheffield-based clothing brand Atelier, to discuss a journey that has seen the likes of Billie Eilish, Fontaines DC and While She Sleep donning their garms.

What inspired you to set up Atelier, and how has your vision for the brand evolved since its inception?

The inspiration first came from the idea of creating something new – offering people something exciting and more relatable than the standard fare. It has now evolved into more of a community.

Clothes can represent more than what’s expected, as not everyone feels comfortable wearing items from fast fashion conglomerates. I felt the same before starting Atelier; it was a strange grey area where I didn’t know where I belonged. Atelier was my answer to that. Each item is tailored to be unique. I don’t think people should settle for what the next person is wearing – it should highlight you as an individual. Atelier represents those individuals.

Tell us about the core philosophy/ethos of Atelier and how it influences your design process.

The core ethos of Atelier is 100% fuelled by creating standout, unique garments in the most sustainable way – tailored to the few rather than the many – from my studio at 92 Burton Road, instead of the typical mass-produced items from China. Fast fashion is a rising factor in global warming.

As people, we’ve become more and more aware of what is happening to the planet. People should feel more comfortable wearing something that aligns with their values.

For this collection, I’d say the design process was influenced by a punk-inspired aesthetic mixed with a sprinkle of the old-school Acid rave scene. Collections like ‘Forever for Now’ stem from the idea of these unexpected fusions, which adds to the representation.

What has been the most rewarding moment in your journey with Atelier so far?

There have been a few rewarding moments for me. It’s always amazing to see people come into the shop and appreciate the hard work that goes into these garments, and it’s a nice moment seeing people out and about in the city wearing them.

Beyond that, seeing my garments on bands and artists is a great accomplishment. Billie Eilish was an unreal achievement. Recently, While She Sleeps have been wearing the clothes a lot, which means so much to me – seeing some local Sheffield legends taking the garments worldwide. Even bands like Bedroom High Club wore the clothes on the main stage at Tramlines, and Carlos from Fontaines DC – it’s just amazing to see where the garments go, from the small workshop in Kelham to the world. Seeing these big names in Atelier definitely keeps the flame alive.

It’s also a massive statement about who wears Atelier – it’s such a varied mix, from Billie Eilish, a massive pop star; to While She Sleeps, a sick metal band.

Creating something pure for myself, representing what I stand for, has helped me find myself creatively. It allows me to evolve the final product every time,

constantly adapting the creative vision of what gets output into the world.

What has been the most rewarding moment in your journey with Atelier so far?

The most rewarding moments in this journey have got to be seeing a wide range of people enjoying the clothes I’ve created, from all age groups. It makes me happy knowing I’m helping people find themselves within fashion and beyond. Many people have come back to Atelier, telling me about the compliments they wouldn’t usually get wearing these clothes – moments like that are priceless.

How do you stay creatively inspired and motivated in such a competitive industry?

The pure motivation behind it is giving people more of an alternative within fashion. I don’t see it as a competitive industry – I’m creating something so unique compared to what’s normally expected. My motivation also comes from the idea that I feel so fortunate to have any kind of creative thought; I’ve always felt that way, and it’s a privilege to see every idea come to fruition.

Doing it all myself also keeps me motivated. I think it’s nice to see how far one person can take something.

What advice would you give to aspiring fashion designers looking to start their own brand?

If you never start, you’ll never know –there’s room for everyone, and if you like what you’re doing, chances are there’s a whole crowd of people who will love it as much as you.

Ideas are good, but the execution of an idea is even better – trust me.

Where would you like the brand to be in five years’ time?

I try to focus more on the present, but the future is very bright for Atelier. Expanding into Manchester with COW is the latest big step. More exhibitions of work and community events within Sheffield are on the horizon, and hopefully, a flagship store in Sheffield too. More pop-ups nationally and internationally are also part of the plan. Keeping the 100% sustainable ethos is important to me. As long as I’m aligned with that and creating bigger projects each time, while producing things that excite me, I’m achieving my aim.

madebyatelier.com // @ madebyatelier