History Editor CJ DeBarra (history@leftlion.co.uk)
Literature Editor Andrew Tucker (literature@leftlion.co.uk)
Food Co-Editor Lucy Campion (food@leftlion.co.uk)
Distribution Dom Martinovs
Sofia Gilbert
James Franklin
Christoffer Zetterlund
Emilia Jagerman
Bertie Watson
Dani Bacon
John Anderson
GOBS Collective
Nick Dunmur
Illustrators
ReVibe Studio
Rich Peri
Kathryn Cooper
Tanya Chulkova
Emily Catherine
Jim Brown
Featured Contributor
Lewis Oxley is an music journalist with a BA in English Literature from UEA and a Master’s in Multimedia Journalism from Manchester Metropolitan University. His writing expertise focuses on alternative music and the avant-garde. Having spent several years in Manchester, he moved to Notts last year and has written for LeftLion since October to resume his interest in music journalism. He became engrossed in the Manchester music scene and followed this up since moving to Nottingham - going on an inquisitive expedition to find new alternative music.
As well as writing journalism, he plans on delving into fiction with his blog Perverted by Language launching at the end of this month. He hopes it will grow with a team of writers and creatives, eventually publishing a zine in the future. LeftLion has helped him find a new voice for which his creativity can reach a wider audience. His January feature about Nottingham Gig Buddies led to him getting more involved in the groupmeeting like minded folk who share his passion for music.
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photographer
Revinyl Sessions
Anderson tells
This month, Light Night 2025 will see the Council House adorned with a digital-dance display titled Primal Future. We speak to the duo behind this exciting new installation.
The man behind Revinyl Sessions at the Golden Fleece, Robin Powell tells us about how the event is getting music-lovers from all walks of life behind the decks.
Living Sobar
We meet two team members at Cafe Sobar, Nottingham’s premiere alcohol-free venue, to find out how the space and the charity looking after it are redefining recovery.
An Open Conversation Guardian columnist and Uni of Manchester academic Gary Younge tells us about an upcoming Nottingham citizen assembly on systematic racism, taking place in March.
Sarah Bard
Wheelchair Tennis player Sarah Bard recounts the story of how she overcame chronic pain and mobility problems to become one of Nottingham’s most inspiring individuals.
The Big Picture
With the Cineworld at Cornerhouse announcing its closure, we brought together Savoy Cinema, Broadway Cinema and The Arc Cinema to chat more about the state of UK cinema.
Hello readers, welcome to the February edition of LeftLion. Congratulations for making it through the dusky days of winter, spring is on the horizon at last and soon there shall be snowdrops, brighter evenings and festivals coming our way.
This month we’re shining a spotlight on some people and organisations in Nottingham that encourage us to get active and connect with our bodies, from wrestlers to dancers, along with campaigners and groups that inspire social engagement. Over on p.18 we chat to Café Sobar about their excellent alcohol-free venue and the important work they are doing in redefining recovery from addiction. On p.19 Gary Younge tells us about an upcoming public assembly where you can help chart a path towards some solutions around systematic racism, while on p.40 we hear about the vital work of Nottingham’s Keep Our NHS Public campaign.
As always, I’ve been pretty blown away by our amazing illustrators this month, from
Before launching his new collection of archive photography this month, Stuart Linden Rhodes takes us back to the hedonistic, queer North and Midlands nightlife of the 1990s.
Hips Don’t Lie
Notts-based pro belly dancer Marija Zinkevica talks about how the ancient dance builds confidence, community and a deep connection with the body.
Trees Mend Us
We speak to Notts-born actor Aisling Loftus about Girls and Boys, her brand new one-woman play starting this month at the Nottingham Playhouse. 26 40 42 32 34
Sarah Manton tells us about the Sherwood People’s Forest, a now seven-year-old city-wide rewilding initiative that she hopes will last well into Nottingham’s distant future.
A Gob Story
With leading Notts poetry group GOBS Collective turning five this year, Literature Editor Andrew Tucker talks about the need for all-the-more creative, wordsmith collectives.
Keep Our NHS Public
We speak to the chairman of Keep Our NHS Public Nottingham branch, Mike Scott about why the organisation that saves us is so worth saving.
Girls & Boys
Tanya Chulkova’s belly dancer depiction on p.26, to Rich Peri’s vinyl DJ on p.15. We once again have another spectacular cover - a serene and nostalgic late-winter scene dotted with Notts County FC symbolism - by Veronica Nilsson. Finally, I was also rather awestruck when some fabulous photos landed in my inbox last month - a rather famous pop band, leather-clad and performing backbends on the 90s Notts club scene, head to p.30 to discover who…
While the world at large is battling its own dark days, I hope this issue can inspire us all to be healthier as individuals and as a community. We can all make a difference, whether it be in small acts of kindness to people in our area, solidarity with minorities facing oppression, or contributing to groups that promote a better society. Every city has its problems but I am proud of Nottingham’s diversity, culture, and character. We should all look to pay back in whatever ways we can.
Until next month,
The Beautiful Game Yorkshire-based
John
us about his eight years spent at Meadow Lane, snapping pictures of Notts County FC in action.
Light House
The Linden Archives
My mum, while we are opening pressies: “What day is it?”
Person 1: "Do you want to get on my shoulders?"
Person 2: "I really don't, I might fart on your neck."
have“Doyouthinkthey’ll anymiraclegrow for that cactus?” “Yes but not in the poisonaisle.”
"We had a lot of fun together, but he's not a drug dealer - he's just a gardener"
"He's a nice guy, I like him, he's just a pervert."
Pick Six
With Valentine's Day just around the corner, we put some questions to romantic comedy author Mhairi McFarlane. Her new novel Cover Story is published by HarperCollins this May…
“There's something about when your granny calls you handsome that hits so hard.”
“WellIguesspeoplecan becomepsychopaths…”
Woman to her mother in Victoria Centre, by broken escalator: “Shall we just jump?”
Space stations are
the
least stationary stations
TV Show - Slow Horses
I don’t know if the disclaimer I’ve worked on the series about MI5 drop outs means this counts a self promo, ineligible or just a brag, either way, I’m choosing it. It’s a murky joy: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy via The Thick Of It, anchored by Gary Oldman having a ball as squelching tramp – cum –quicksilver-brained spy superhero, Jackson Lamb. British people instinctively understand stories about having a crap job. It’s the high-low principle in one glossy Apple TV package.
Notts Spot - Sherwood Sherwood: when you want a little of the bougie swag of an affluent postcode, without popped rugby collars and white Range Rover Evoques. Nothing will change my neighbourhood having an ugly main road bisecting it, but the fact chain restaurants aren’t interested in it (presumably for that very reason) means it’s end to end independent businesses, key to Sherwood’s scruffy charm. Try Ania’s Polish, Johnny Beedham’s sausages, hipster bagels. Granted, the pubs are mostly terrible but that’s what The Gladstone’s for.
Film - Your Fat Friend
Jeanie Finlay’s documentary follows Aubrey Gordon, going from blogger to viral sensation and author, thanks to her articulacy and raw emotion describing navigating the world as a fat person. It’s a long overdue explainer to a standard-size world that has been content to think of fat people as Other, or fatness as a problem to be fixed. YFF explores anti-fat bias and diet culture, but such descriptors can sound preachy. Jeanie’s films are always about people before issues, and always fascinating.
Notts Legend - Adrian Wootton OBE
I don’t know if Adrian Wootton, now CEO of Film London, is *from* Nottingham, so perhaps this trashes the category rules, but he ran Broadway Cinema in the 1990s and boasts the incredible coup of hosting a world premiere of Pulp Fiction, with Tarantino himself bringing the film in canisters. He also founded the legendary Shots In The Dark crime festival: can we bring that back? He’s a one man reminder to think big.
Meal - Raymond’s Raymond’s has pulled off the rare hospitality feat of ‘instant classic’ familiarity. The décor, lighting, charming service, all spot on - it’s like it’s always been there. There’s a short menu of nice things that skews towards carnivores, Cremant by the glass (as a fizz bitch, let me tell you how rare this is) sour cherry Negronis by Cottonmouth. It doesn’t try to be all things to all people, instead it knows who its people are and trusts they’ll find it.
Favourite Song - So Long, London by Taylor Swift
When Taylor announced The Tortured Poets Department while still on tour, I worried the track listing might have the Morrissey problem (no not that one) – lots of acerbically witty titles in search of a song to support it. In fact, TTPD is Imperial Phase stuff - a real grower, and So Long, London is a masterpiece. An American woman describes with a poetic accuracy exactly what it’s like to date a self involved, emotionally frigid British mard-arse. We can only apologise.
words: Dani Bacon
In association with
I’ll be the boatswain who pipes you on sailing boats. In classical symphonies I’ll play your holding notes.
I’ll be the string on your brown paper parcel. I’m the Dark Knight when you’re stuck in a castle.
I’ll be a smouldering log on your fire. I’ll be the drone in your Mull of Kintyre.
I am truly the wind ‘neath your wings. I’ll find you all of your favourite things.
I know you get eczema, I won’t buy you kittens. I’ll willingly silk-line your warm woollen mittens.
words: Ed Wilding
UNDERCOVER ARTIST
This month’s cover artist Veronica Nilsson talks about making our Notts County inspired February cover and what art means to her…
Tell us a bit about yourself…
I am a Swedish illustrator, I moved to Nottingham in 2021 to pursue my passion for illustration and graduated with my Bachelor's with honours last summer. My partner's job opportunity led us to recently relocate to Liverpool, and it has been a great experience discovering a new city and immersing myself in a culture that is different from Nottingham. Since moving to England, I have learned a great deal about myself: I have become the person I always wanted to be, both creatively and personally - something I may not have achieved if I had stayed in Stockholm.
What was the inspiration behind the cover?
The brief did not come with many specifics other than to include some magpies, as the issue contains a story about Notts County football. I do not often draw animals but I enjoy making landscapes and I had a good idea of what I wanted to make pretty quickly. I was thinking about February, the frost and snow we recently have become familiar with, and I was excited to create something that mirrors that and reminds us that spring is on the way. I decided to go with a golden sunrise, ensuring I tie in the colours from the Notts County logo, the magpies contrasting an otherwise muted colour palette. During a chat with my partner, a football enthusiast, he recalled childhood walks past a rusty football goal on his way to school, a relatable memory that added depth to my creation.
nottinghampoetryfestival.com
What inspires you as an artist?
Nottingham’s most opinionated grocers on...
The first film we went to see was Oliver at The Metropol in Sherwood. It was the 1960s and the cinema was where the gym is at the top of the high street now. There was a scary part in it where a woman was beaten to death on the bridge. The last film we saw was a few years ago at Broadway. They showed Kind Hearts and Coronets for an anniversary screening. It was brilliant. We really must go out to the cinema more.
The NHS
It’s the most wonderful thing! We went to hospital recently for a minor check-up, waited four or five hours and were seen to and sorted. Brilliant! We know people moan about the wait times, but that was brilliant service and all for free. We’re not surprised it’s under pressure though, the population just keeps growing and yet they’re not building anymore hospitals or investing much more money in it are they? It’s just been the same two hospitals in Nottingham since the 1970s. If they were keeping up with the demand they’d need to build at least one other.
Candlemas Day
We’re always busy in the build up to Christmas selling and delivering trees. So we don’t really get a chance to put our own decorations up. So from now on we’re going to make sure we mark and observe Candlemas Day, which is the 2 February and the official end of Christmas. I know most people think we’ve got it all out of the way by then, but for us it’s still the festive season right up until February.
For me, it is sometimes just noticing what is around me. Since I was a child I've been labelled as quiet, meanwhile I see it as being an observer, and I have a good eye for small details which might go unseen day to day. I like tiny moments, I like interaction and talking about culture, community and the human experience. Last year I went to an exhibition by the Swedish artist, Jeanette Schäring. She had a big interest in ecology and how pollution of the water affects the water's colour and texture, for example, she put a cork in a vial with water from the bay in my hometown, which made the small amount of water change into a pinkish colour, this was an interesting experiment of an isolated point of how humanity is affecting the earth. This small exhibition widened my view of what I could make art out of and I think of it any time I am stuck on in making art
Tell us about some things you’ve worked on in the past…
My previous work has focused on my hometown, my interest in fashion and the elderly. Last summer I had an online exhibition and made a book collecting my work from the project ‘Invisible’ which talks about endometriosis and addresses the language around periods and female pain. Through this work, I was able to experiment with my medium and how to use my art to convey a deeper message and to advocate for those who have been silenced and made invisible in society.
Do you have any tricks for getting started and staying inspired as a creative?
The best way to start is to discover what you enjoy and what interests you! When I began drawing I started by curating a Pinterest board, drawing inspiration from fashion. This led me to fill my sketchbooks very fast, organizing each drawing according to the themes, colours and subjects of different pages.
In my first year of university, my lecturer, Helen, said something like, “Illustration takes a lot of hard work”. I have found this to be true as a lot of my projects come with lots of research behind them. It could be a thought that led to a conversation, where I took pictures on my walks or when I took a day trip to get away and I did some sketches, It reminded me of a memory and so on. I interpret what Helen was saying as that there is no definitive right or wrong way to approach it; it’s simply about continuing to practice and strengthen your creative muscle every day.
If you could sit down and chat with any artist in your field, who would it be and what would you talk about?
I would love to have a conversation with Jess Allen, her paintings are truly stunning interactions between shadows, light and how it interacts with the space. Every painting tells a story unlike the other and she has a very intentional way of how she chooses her subjects and colour to convey a story which inspires me to approach mine in a new way. I would love to dive deeper into her process!
Is there anything else you’d like to tell the LeftLion readers? Do things that bring you joy. It is never too late to start.
Q @vernil_illustration
Cinemas
Nadia on...
the children's wellbeing and schools bill
It is often said that the true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members. Nowhere is this more evident than in how we care for our children and the world we design for them. Children are not just the future of our country, they're the clearest reflection of our values and political priorities today. That’s why I’ve passionately supported campaigns on retrofitting schools, improving climate education, ending child poverty and protecting young people’s mental health – I want us to leave a better and more livable world for generations to come.
It’s also why I am proud to support the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, a landmark piece of legislation from this government that prioritises the safety, health, and futures of young people at the heart of policymaking. This Bill outlines ambitious plans to expand access to quality education and ensure vulnerable children are no longer overlooked, through significant improvements in both social care and schools policy. At its core, this Bill is about safeguarding children and attempting to prevent tragic cases, such as the horrific crimes committed against Sara Sharif, from ever occurring again. The Children’s Charities coalition has called it “a major step forward”.
As the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill is wideranging, there are a few parts of it I want to highlight. Firstly, the rollout of free breakfasts for all primary school pupils will prevent children from starting school hungry and struggling to concentrate during their lessons. The cost of living crisis under the Tories severely impacted families and caregivers, leaving many dependent on the support of food banks. Last year, the Trussell Trust distributed 1.1 million food parcels to children. Now, our government will help ease this pressure, saving parents up to £450 per year.
Secondly, I’m pleased that the profits of children’s home providers will be capped, ending the scandal of local authorities being forced to shell out huge sums of money to private providers. Last year, analysis by the Local Government Association revealed that the top fifteen private children’s social care providers are making an average profit of 23%. The new Bill will crack down on
providers making excessive profits and tackle unregistered provisions, especially as a rising number of children are placed in illegal care homes. Last November, I asked the Education Secretary if she would also commit to properly funding not-for-profit and public sector provisions, to improve children’s social care services and end social care profiteering for good.
Finally, the measures aimed at limiting risks of neglect or abuse outside of school, such as the introduction of a unique identifying number for children and a register for all children not in school, cannot be implemented quickly enough. A recent report highlighted that not being in school, missing education or having poor school attendance creates and exacerbates risks of harm for children. Without these systems, gaps in monitoring allow at-risk children to slip through unnoticed, leaving them exposed to greater dangers and reducing their chances of receiving necessary support and protection.
CHildren are not just tHe Future oF our Country, tHey're tHe Clearest reFleCtion oF our Values and politiCal priorities today
The Bill's proposal for consistent pay and conditions across all state-funded schools, including academies, is a vital step toward improving the quality of education for students. Addressing disparities in pay and working conditions aims to attract and retain skilled teachers, ultimately reducing turnover and the disruption it causes to children’s education. Under the Conservatives, teachers’ pay suffered, which led to a high staff turnover and a disruption in children’s education.
As with any Bill, there are areas in which I believe it could be strengthened. Many education experts, including the Children’s Commissioner, have pointed out the need for schools to be made the fourth statutory safeguarding partner, alongside the police, local authorities and health
settings. It’s a shocking figure, but every year, around 500,000 children in the UK are abused. Children spend a significant amount of their time in education settings, and therefore it makes sense to have a joined up system between safeguarding partners, including schools, to ensure children are safeguarded and their welfare is protected.
I would also like to see greater efforts to tackle children’s poverty. Child Poverty Action reports that in an average classroom of thirty pupils, nine are living in poverty. In Nottingham, that number is higher, with 40% of children in poverty. While free breakfast for all primary school children will boost their wellbeing, the government should go further and provide free school meals for all. Access to nutritious food is a basic right that every child deserves. Beyond the Bill, addressing unaffordable housing and implementing progressive reforms to the benefits system (such as lifting the two child benefit cap) should too be critical priorities.
Lastly, we need to invest in areas that will improve children’s wellbeing, including putting more resources into children and adolescent mental health services. Too many young people are waiting too long to access the help they need – in 2023, nearly 40,000 children experienced a wait of over two years for mental health support. The pressures young people face today are immense, from navigating individual social challenges to coping with the climate crisis and an ever-changing digital world. By dedicating more resources to mental health support, we can give children the tools to manage these challenges and lead healthier, happier lives.
In England, only one in five children feel their voices matter, and just 10% of teenagers believe they can influence issues they care about. This is a heartbreaking state of affairs that must change. Prioritising education, health, and social care is key to building fairer lives for young people. Let’s ensure every child knows their voice matters and that their future is bright.
words: Nadia Whittome photo: Fabrice Gagos
The Beautiful Game
John Anderson is a professional photographer with a passion for Notts County FC. After years of corporate jobs and taking photos of Queen Elizabeth, in 2016 he decided to pursue a passion project and take photos at Meadow Lane. However, his focus is usually on the crowd rather than on the pitch…
How did you first start out as a photographer? When I was twelve I saved up for a year to buy my first proper SLR film camera. It was a Minolta X300 and cost £120. It was a massive difference in quality and creative control in comparison to the point and shoot cameras I used before. However, when the actual day arrived to buy the camera I was too lovesick over a girl to actually enjoy getting it.
When did you start to take your photography more seriously? In my late twenties I was living in New Zealand for a year working as a barista. I had a job that I hated waiting for me back in England, when I had this inspired thought out of the blue: I wanted to be a photographer. So when I came back to England I did the job, but signed up for night school and slowly but surely began building a photography business. There’s something about capturing life and human emotion that makes me feel alive.
What inspired your Notts County photography project? I spent many years doing corporate photography and I wanted to pursue some more personal projects. I was inspired by a photographer who photographed Barcelona, but rather than just the action he caught the magic of what it means to be at the match. I’ve supported Notts County since I was seven and have now spent eight years on and off taking photos at Meadow Lane, mainly capturing the fans rather than the on-pitch action.
Are there any particular fun matchday stories you’d like to share?
It makes me laugh that I am a supporter but also there trying to do a job. I’m sat by the touchline looking for good images, concentrating and at the same time joining in with the songs from the Kop and cheering for goals. It’s interesting being in the tunnel and seeing the teams lining up, the banter between players who are psyching each other up. Also I like being behind the goal and seeing how the away-keepers handle the ‘conversation’ with some of the crowd.
Aside from these photos you’ve also photographed Queen Elizabeth, Nick Clegg and Jake Bugg. How did those shoots come about?
I was asked to document the Queen when she visited Sheffield Cathedral. I was buzzing at the thought of being able to get images of her informally, contemplative, away from the crowds
and being able to capture a more unseen and personal version of her. In reality I had a royal escort telling me where I could and couldn’t go. It was a bit restrictive and not exactly what I’d anticipated, but still a brilliant experience and I got a few shots I was really pleased with. The connection with Jake Bugg came through a shoot Notts County wanted to do in London, when he became a shirt sponsor. I was really impressed by him. There was no entourage, he’s a proper Notts County supporter and I love his singing and songwriting. The photos with Nick Clegg were for a personal series I did on people who have followed their passions in life and do something they love. It always interests me meeting the real person and getting a sense of who they are from my own perspective.
I was inspired by a photographer who photographed Barcelona, but rather than just the action he caught the magic of what it means to be at the match
What makes a really good photo?
Capturing a moment and human emotion, good light, composition and a bit of luck.
What other photographers do you particularly enjoy the work of and why?
The Observer photographer Jane Bown was an early inspiration. I liked how she tried to capture the essence of people in her portraits and the way she was humble and kept things simple, using natural light and just being herself.
My photography mentor is Stuart Freedman. A friend knew him, and knew I'd been looking for a mentor, so he introduced us. It was the days before covid so I travelled to meet him face to face just outside London and then during the pandemic we started online sessions instead. He is a real character - very straight talking, direct, experienced and ultimately encouraging. I love his work and I have big respect for what he has achieved and also the way he critiques my images so ruthlessly and pushes me to aim higher.
What is the role of the professional photographer in a world
where everyone is on Instagram?
Hmmm, I guess a professional photographer offers something unique in terms of their experience and hopefully in their ability to create art. There is an overlap though as everyone has a camera now and can be in the right place at the right time, so everyone has the potential to create beautiful shots.
Who’s your favourite Notts County players past and present and why?
There are so many from the dream days of the Jimmy Sirrel era. I have memories of Tristan Benjamin going on mazy runs from defence, sometimes ending back where he started but having taken on about five players. All-time favourite though would be John Chiedozie; a proper fast and skilful winger. Of the current team it would be Jodi Jones. I love the attacking mentality and way that he can ghost past people leaving them standing.
We understand you have an exhibition coming up with the American Center for Photographers in North Carolina, USA in March?
Yes. It came about after I launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise money to create a photography book with some of the Notts images. I didn’t manage to raise the target money, but one of the backers, a guy called Jérôme de Perlinghi, is a photographer and the artistic director at the gallery. He liked the images and asked if I would be up for doing an exhibition. Once I realised it was for real, I was very happy to go ahead.
It’s a double-header with a baseball photographer called Scott Strazzante. I don’t know much about his work, but I like the idea of the exhibitions running together showing similarities and differences.
Anything else you want to say?
The staff at Notts have been amazing, giving me the access to take photographs in the stadium and being up for using slightly less conventional photographs. Also them letting my kids assist me has been magic.
John’s exhibition ‘Coming Home - The Beautiful Game’ at Meadow Lane is showing at the American Center for Photographers in North Carolina, USA from 5-30 March 2025.
johnandersonphoto.co.uk
photos: John Anderson interview: Jared Wilson
Put Your Records On
Fancy sharing your music taste with other music lovers? Revinyl Sessions at The Golden Fleece has you covered. With an ethos that celebrates the DJ for their ability to create community in a crowd, Revinyl invites anybody, experienced or first-timer, the chance to get behind the decks and unite the room with their sound. We spoke to organiser Robin Powell to find out more…
Last night the DJ saved my life. A chorus and sentiment that club revellers and music lovers have shared for decades. The saintly label bestowed upon these people echoes long into the night when we are knees deep in the amount of alcohol we’ve consumed and when banger after banger is being played. DJs play a very valuable part in connecting people with new music as well as people sharing their own variety of musical taste to groups of people who crave it. You don’t have to have all the gear to be a DJ, just a few records will do.
This is the ethos behind Nottingham Revinyl, a bi-weekly host of sessions at The Golden Fleece on Mansfield Road. As founder Robin puts it, “Anyone can bring their records, go behind the decks and play. Every genre is welcome and no prior experience is necessary at all. It’s more about meeting people with a similar interest in music and those with an interest in records and who want to collect them.” Robin started the Revinyl sessions in 2022 along with his girlfriend Abi. The sessions started in Bristol and have now branched out into other cities such as Norwich and Leeds.
“I had a friend who helped set up Revinyl in Bristol around ten years ago. He knew that I had been getting into records since the time of Covid. I wanted a space where I was able to play my records and give people the chance to play theirs even if it was their first time behind the decks and The Golden Fleece seemed like the perfect spot.
Vinyl nights at pubs and similar venues are fairly common depending where you go. I was recently in Jam Cafe where DJs host a night of playing eclectic music on Friday and Saturday nights and back when I lived in Manchester, Martin, one of the locals, brought in records: everything from Krautrock to Northern Soul oddities. Having people play their own records and sharing their tastes is always something to be cherished, especially with the tactile nature of vinyl compared to downloading tracks on a USB drive.”
Robin has hosted multiple events in addition to the Revinyl sessions. He hosted an event in the basement of French Living, featuring Manchester-based DJ Ruf Dug, which he says came
about as he knew one of the owners and they wanted a younger crowd as opposed to their regulars. The long-established Nottingham cafe obliged, open to something alternative to the occasional live music session. The prospect of switching Django Reinhardt for deep house doesn’t appeal to everyone, but the event was a great success.
I’m even waiting for someone to come and play a classical music set because there is just so much good music across genres
This epitomizes the culture and philosophy of the Revinyl sessions and is the main objective that Robin seeks to achieve. “Some of those coming to the event will play, for example, funky world music, and the main reason that we’re engaging with Leftlion is so that we can spread the word and encourage people to bring different types of music, adding variety where anyone can come and play their music,” he explained. “I’m even waiting for someone to come and play a classical music set because there is just so much good music across genres.”
Although the genres covered at the sessions are varied, Robin has a particular thing for dance and house music and stresses the big part that Nottingham had in being at the centre of it during the 80s and 90s. The success of leaning towards dance music is reflected in the age-range variety in those who play the records and the punters coming through the door. Robin tells me that he’s had guys in their 40s and 50s come in and deeply reminisce with music that they were listening to back in their 20s because they were part of the acid house generation who went to all the clubs.
At the end of last year, Robin and Abi reached the milestone of hosting their 50th session of Revinyl. Robin, however, confesses that some of it is a “bit of a blur” because there have been “so many sessions”.
“Felix, who runs Swingdash X collaborated with us at The Fleece.
We also had Tom and Gohan from Running Circle there too. It was a great turn out for us. We also had a summer party on the terrace, which was great because we had very hot weather which is always good. We did some of these events for charity and in all we were able to raise £1200 for Emanuel House, which was excellent.”
Robin has many hopes for the future for the Reinyl session but is aware that there isn’t always the time and space to something bigger than a vinyl night. “We are hoping to put more events on, but it is really difficult to put nighttime events on in Nottingham at the moment. There aren’t any venues who are necessarily willing to host over a hundred people in a space.”
“We have a big event on 1 March where we’ll be doing a nighttime session with Paradisco, a Bristol-based DJ collective. We are likely to do an open decks night with Noodle Nights who play once a month at the Fleece on Thursdays, but they use USBs instead of purely vinyl, which should be interesting. And hopefully, if the council lets us, we can have another terrace party in the summer.”
There remains one vitally important question for DJs: What is the one record that you would take on a desert island with you? Robin's choice? - the compositions of Arthur Russell, the avantgarde cellist who was posthumously rediscovered by zoomers after his music went virtually unnoticed until this past decade. Mine? - Cold Fact by Rodriguez; a record rediscovered by AntiApartheid campaigners in South Africa by an artist feared dead only to be found alive and well some four decades later in the 2012 documentary Searching for Sugar Man. He has sadly since passed.
Is this perhaps the shape of things to come for Revinyl? If you think so, get your records, come down, and play!
This month Revinyl Sessions take place on Wednesday 5 and 19 February at the Golden Fleece on Mansfield Road, with a special Revinyl x Paradisco late night party happening on 1 March, 9pmlate, featuring Gail b2b rPal, Paradisco DJs, and Sarahtonin.
words: Lewis Oxley illustration: Rich Peri
LIGHT HOUSE
words: Jared Wilson
HOUSE
Promising to shine brighter than ever, Light Night 2025 will feature dozens of spectacular light installations, family-friendly activities and live performances across the city centre. Among these is a new collaboration called Primal Future, a dance and digital crossover which will be projected onto Nottingham’s Council House at the event. Created as a collaboration between Nottinghambased dancer Tom Dale and digital artist Barret Hodgson, we asked them to reveal more about their work…
Firstly, how did you both start out as artists?
Barret: My passion for creating and studying art was ignited during a one-year art foundation course in Mansfield. At first, I imagined a career as a graphic designer, but I quickly fell in love with the freedom and conceptual depth of fine art. That course was transformative and reshaped my outlook on creativity and life. I went on to study Fine Art at Newcastle University, which was a very traditional program. During my university years I began experimenting with adding visual elements to house parties using second-hand slide projectors. I love music and the idea of making art that could transform a moment and environment fascinated me.
Tom: I learned to dance because of the rave scene in Essex. In the 90s, electronic music blew up, and the energy around dance music was insane. I loved the feeling of it all. There wasn’t much opportunity for art at my school but they were really into the performing arts and when I dropped chemistry for dance as an A-level, it just clicked and was perfect for me. I auditioned for Trinity Laban, a conservatoire for dance in London and was awarded a scholarship to train there. Later I was honored with their award for Outstanding Achievement in Choreography.
Please tell us about Vent Media and Tom Dale Dance Company…
Barret: Vent Media was founded in 2007 after I completed my MA at Trent University. Establishing the company was built on my passion for combining motion graphics and projection with collaborative projects in the live arts. Over time, Vent Media has evolved and it now operates primarily as a platform for my freelance work, but I have the flexibility to bring in a network of specialists and collaborators as needed. Every project is unique, and this adaptable approach ensures I can tailor teams to fit each creative endeavor. My work takes me around the globe, but my studio remains rooted in Nottingham.
Tom: In 2010 I set up Tom Dale Company to explore how contemporary dance and digital art could collide and evolve. Our focus has always been on creating bold, innovative performances that engage audiences nationally and internationally. Collaboration is at the heart of everything we do, and my long-standing partnership with Barret has been pivotal. Together, we’ve brought cutting-edge digital design into dance, merging light, sound, and movement to create immersive experiences.
We love how Light Night lets us connect directly with the public in such a dynamic setting. It’s about more than performance. It’s about making dance accessible, inspiring people through movement and technology, and showing how creative expression can thrive in Nottingham’s streets and spaces
What first brought you to the city of Nottingham?
Barret: I’ve always lived here as I grew up in Brinsley, near Eastwood. I went to Newcastle for my degree, but came back later and studied an MA in Collaborative Arts at Nottingham Trent University. The MA was a turning point for me, as it brought together creative practitioners from diverse disciplines to collaborate, opening my eyes to the worlds of theatre and dance. It was a pivotal experience that broadened my perspective and refined my approach to art-making. For many years I also did visuals at countless gigs for Rock City and Detonate, Nottingham’s drum and bass event promoters.
Tom: I moved here from London in 2012 as I needed a proper base for my company and my family. Nottingham was always a great place to tour and create, so it felt natural. Shona Powell at Lakeside Arts introduced me to Barret back then and we created I Infinite together in 2011, just before I moved up. That collaboration was our first and it’s a nice immersive piece that we continue to tour.
What inspires you when creating new work?
Tom: It depends; sometimes it’s people, music, politics, a feeling, something that is affecting how it is to be human or just an idea that sticks. I like to work with artists in a way that lets the work emerge through them. It’s rarely about dictation. I’m drawn to the layers of meaning in movement and how tech can bring that out. At the same time, I’m focused on the audience; what they need, how to make them care, and creating those moments that stay with them.
Barret: Inspiration can come from anywhere; whether it’s the striking typography of film titles, the intricate beauty of a Baroque painting, or something as unexpected as a catalog of dental procedures I once stumbled upon at the dentist’s office. One of my favorite sources of inspiration, however, is conversations with fellow collaborators. You never know what surprising ideas or perspectives someone might bring to the table, turning a simple exchange into a creative spark.
Tell us about some of the high profile work you’ve done…
Tom: SUB:VERSION and SURGE are two recent shows we’ve created that have toured dozens of theatres across the UK over the last couple of years. SURGE won a National Dance Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Performer in Modern Choreography. Outside of my own company I have danced with leading choreographers and companies, including Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures. I’ve also worked on commissions, including the award-winning Dark Clouds are Smouldering into Red with Sinfonia Viva and I Am a Believer, a piece performed in Trafalgar Square for visual artist Reza Aramesh.
Barret: A standout moment in my career was taking a show to the Sydney Opera House last year. It was a piece I created with the Javaad Alipoor Company called Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World and was a truly unforgettable experience. Another highlight is working at Glastonbury Festival, where I oversee the projection for the Temple stage. The stage is meticulously video-mapped and visually stunning and being part of Glastonbury feels like coming full circle, reconnecting me to my nightclub roots. On the commercial side, I’ve had the privilege of working with major brands like IBM, Red Bull, and the BBC. However, it’s the creativity and collaboration that continue to fuel my passion and get me excited to start each day.
You’ve collaborated regularly on projects together in the past too. Tell us about some of those…
Barret: From the moment Tom and I first met, we clicked instantly, bonding over a shared love of electronic music. I-Infinite went on to become a long-running show that toured globally, and I’m incredibly proud to have been part of its success.
Tom: Barret did the digital design for both SURGE and Digitopia. There’s a short film adaptation of SURGE that people can watch on the BBC website as part of their Dance Passion project. Digitopia was also celebrated for its integration of dance and technology, winning an award for Outstanding Production at the UK Theatre and Technology Awards.
What are your previous experiences of Light Night?
Tom: After moving here I quickly noticed how massive the public’s appetite for Light Night was and immediately wanted to be part of it. It felt like the perfect opportunity to showcase our work and contribute to the city’s vibrant arts scene. Partnering with Nottingham Contemporary, we’ve presented performances that combine our professional dancers and high production standards with a diverse group of community dancers. This integration is key to what we do. We’re passionate about bridging the gap between professional and community dance, creating space for the next generation of performers to develop and shine.
We love how Light Night lets us connect directly with the public in such a dynamic setting. It’s about more than performance. It’s about making dance accessible, inspiring people through movement and technology, and showing how creative expression can thrive in Nottingham’s streets and spaces. Being part of the event is always an amazing experience, and it’s exciting to see how the work resonates.
Tell us about the new work Primal Future, which people can expect to see projected on the Council House at Light Night 2025?
Tom: Primal Future is an immersive performance that combines cutting-edge digital visuals, a powerful electronic score by Felix Morgan and electrifying dance. The concept explores a world where ancient human instincts meet futuristic technologies, creating a visceral, sensory experience. This project is a collaboration between myself, Barret Hodgson, composer Felix Morgan, and a team of professional dancers. We’ve also involved ten talented community dancers, integrating their energy and creativity into the performance. Audiences can expect a visually stunning and emotionally charged experience that challenges perceptions of the body, space, and reality.
Light Night Nottingham takes place on Friday 28 February and Saturday 1 March. The event is free to attend and funded by Nottingham City Council, It’s in Nottingham and Arts Council England.
words: Caradoc Gayer
photos: Dani Bacon
Living Sobar
Founded back in 2014 by local addiction recovery charity Double Impact, Café Sobar has become a beacon for change for many in Notts. Providing people in recovery a space for growth via meetings, volunteering and work opportunities, the venue team is ever-ambitious to redefine recovery through a unique, community driven approach. We met team-members Char Ogley and Pete Grimes to find out how, ten years on, the venue’s mission has evolved.
“The black dog that you carry around with you –which is current or historical substance abuse – isn’t an issue here,” says Char Ogley. “I remember one person coming in with family and saying, ‘Gosh, I didn’t see my children for years because I was in a dark place. It’s so nice to come in here and do what so many take for granted: an ordinary Sunday afternoon with family.’”
Since August 2024 Char has managed community growth and engagement at Café Sobar: an entirely alcohol-free café-bar on Friar Lane, founded by addiction-recovery charity Double Impact.
The venue, now ten years old, has always sought to provide a welcoming and productive environment for people in recovery, whether it’s offering employment and volunteering opportunities or facilitating meetings like twelve-step-recovery programs.
The space is one of a small group of entirely sober bars across the UK, many of which are fighting a losing financial battle. As The Guardian reported last August, despite the advent of a “sober curious generation”, overheads and other costs have led many such spaces, from Manchester to Brighton, to shut shop.
“We’re certainly not the first people to have the idea, but it’s not often put into practice because, commercially, it makes no sense,” says Char.
“Why would you start a venue, particularly when hospitality is having such a hard time, that doesn’t serve alcohol? You need enterprises like ours that have that commercial aspect, but it’s not our driver. We’ve got the charity’s support if it gets tough.”
As a venue looked after by a charity but still a solid spot for coffee and culture in its own right, the dual nature of Café Sobar, Char tells me, is what sets it apart, often saving it from the adversity that venues in one camp or the other might face.
Pete Grimes, assistant manager, barista and chef at the venue, tells me that this quality was what drew him to Sobar back in 2019. He was then an individual recovering from addiction who’d just left a role at the Uni of Nottingham. Attending twelve-step-recovery meetings upstairs, Pete found community and an invaluable sense of interpersonal connection at the café.
“The café was a great place to go and support that fellowship before and after the meetings. That’s why I think that Sobar is so important, because you go to those meetings elsewhere and they don’t have a social enterprise café downstairs, and that’s what I think is so special about Sobar. It serves such a great role in helping people like that.”
Accredited Government statistics say that the number of UK adults in treatment for alcohol increased from 49,958 in 2005 to 122,030 in 2022. Depending on how you look at it, this indicates that more people are entering recovery, but also that more might have repressed their issue over the years.
For Char, this is a problem that Double Impact and Café Sobar seek to overcome: stigma, and the belief of people suffering from addiction that they shouldn’t seek help. Whether they’re in high profile jobs or undergoing financial trouble, or homelessness many, Char says, struggle to access support.
“It can be because their primary engagement with services so far has been relatively unsympathetic, from police, or because alcoholism is still a dirty word,” says Char, adding, “we could look at adverts around alcohol companies, whose slogans are ‘drink responsibly’ which puts the blame on the drinker.”
And should this be tackled? A big part of the resolution for Café Sobar is receiving referrals from organisations around Nottingham dealing with vulnerable people (like the NHS and Framework: our city’s leading homelessness charity).
The next step is ensuring that Sobar is a buzzing and positive cultural spot in Nottingham. This atmosphere is, of course, provided by many events, from the musical Sobar Socials (the next of which is in February), to participation in the Nottingham Light Night (also in February) to open mic and comedy nights celebrating the creative achievements of people who have gone through recovery.
seeing people Come in, understand tHe journey tHey’re on, get a bit oF ConFidenCe and HaVe tHe ligHt Come on beHind tHeir eyes: tHat’s really speCial
The vital part of it however, says Char, is the venue’s enduring ‘peer recovery program’. Most staff at Sobar have undergone recovery themselves, which couldn’t be more important to the Double Impact’s mission: setting up spaces where mutual support is central.
“We have a voluntary program which is open to everybody, but designed to help those people back into work or take their first steps when they go through life changing events like addiction,” she says. “The way that works is that the more established staff members will be there to mentor staff in their job but also provide that emotional support and recovery support, and help guide them.”
And is the strategy working? According to Pete, who experienced the process first-hand, it couldn’t be working better. Day-by-day, he sees people referred to the venue: people undergoing the same difficulties he did who soon regain the confidence to tackle life head on.
“I know what it’s like to be out of work, feeling at a loose end, not sure what you’re going to do, and having your recovery to think about. Sobar ticked all those boxes for me,” says Pete.
“I think it's a very important place and I want to see it thrive, because it plays an important part in so many people’s lives and it has in mine. Seeing people come in, understand the journey they’re on, get a bit of confidence and have the light come on behind their eyes: that’s really special.”
Find Café Sobar at 22 Friar Ln, Nottingham, NG1 6DQ. For more information on Sobar Socials, which happen on the last Friday of every month, visit their webpage at doubleimpact.org.uk/cafe-sobar
Q @cafe_sobar
NOTTS SHOTS
Want to have your work featured in Notts Shots? Send your high-res photos from around the city (including your full name and best web link) to photography@leftlion.co.uk or tag #nottsshots on Instagram.
@vawn.creates
Pelham in White Vawn Humphrey-Wilson
Still Waters Sonia Kitten
A Quiet Night Nick Archer
Nature's Confetti Satar Niazi
Industrial Moon
Andrew Spencer
Exhibition at Broadmarsh Phil Howcrost - @phil_howcroft_nottingham
Among the Flock Satar Niazi
Wheelchair Tennis player and Nottingham resident Sarah Bard is nothing less than a soldier. Having fought through lifelong chronic pain and mobility problems, which peaked after an accident she suffered at age thirty, she’s cemented her position as one of our city’s most admired sportspeople. Back in 2018, LeftLion joined other local media in promoting Sarah’s story, and ‘Go-Fund-Me’ for a new wheelchair to help her travel to national tournaments. Here we pass Sarah the pen to tell her inspiring story.
I grew up in a village just outside of London. My dad was a Vicar. My childhood was singing in church and selling raffle tickets at fetes. I was born with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease: a neuromuscular syndrome which wasn’t well understood back then. I was told my chronic pain was largely psychosomatic until I was 27, when a specialist with more understanding explained as well as my feet being deformed, and some nerves being trapped, many of my peripheral nerves were misfiring and interpreting all information as pain. I don’t ever remember not being in some degree of pain.
After coming to the midlands for University I settled in Nottingham after getting a job in the tribute band ’S Club Heaven’ as Hannah. The dancing was brutal on my feet, but I’m glad I did it. From a young age I’ve been able to semi-divorce my mind from the physical pain and during the time I spent on stage I just got to be the person people saw. Through my 20s I also organised gig nights in Hockley and made a few albums and LPs; Night Time Acoustics is still available on most streaming sites.
One day, I was leaving a Nottingham hotel for my thirtieth birthday party: I took the stairs and fell. I fractured my ankle but didn’t want to miss it so my cousin and uncle carried me to the venue. For the rest of the night I sat with my foot up while each of my loved ones came to see me. I felt like Birthday Santa. I went straight to QMC casualty when the party ended.
After coming home from hospital the reality of the situation took hold. I had broken my ‘good’ ankle and had no feet left to carry my weight. I suddenly found myself a wheelchair user. My hands are also affected by my disease and I wasn’t able to push myself in the wheelchair around the city. I couldn’t even push open the doors leading out of my flat. I became housebound.
My friends and family were wonderful, they helped wherever they could but I needed so much help. I found that helping me was all they had time for. I saw so many people who loved me, yet became more and more isolated and lonely. I gained about four stone in weight and became extremely depressed. Life had often been difficult but this time I couldn’t see a future for myself. My first push forward was when I got proper Personal Care Support from Nottingham City Council. My friends
became my friends again. When they stopped seeing me as needing so much help I began to stop seeing myself as helpless. I’d been told I’d never walk again but to give me a chance a surgeon in London took on a huge operation to reconstruct my foot. I had several more operations in the following years. I later got a mobility scooter and I was free of my flat.
About eight years ago my friend Eric suggested that we go to a Paralympic ‘come and try’ event in the Market Square and it was when I tried wheelchair tennis that things clicked. It was so difficult, but I loved it. I was invited to the beginner wheelchair tennis sessions at the Nottingham Tennis Centre on Friday nights, and later was encouraged to go to tournaments.
I play for my health. Mental and physical. I can’t describe the sheer quantity of things that are better for me since I picked up a racket
I successfully applied to The Dan Maskell Tennis Trust for a tennis chair of my own. These are much lighter, the wheels flare out for tight spinning turns and they don’t have breaks. As I improved and played more competitively - now in the Women’s Open category - my confidence grew, my health improved and the way that I saw my disease changed. I lost all of the weight I’d gained after my fall. One of my consultants told me I was ‘defying the textbooks’.
After winning my first national tournament at the Lee Valley Tennis centre in London, I entered my first International Futures event at Nottingham Tennis Centre. I found myself side by side with the best players in the world. I soaked it all in, asked questions, learned from them, used that knowledge to push myself forward even more, and managed to get my world ranking up to #158.
Last summer I played in a tournament at Wimbledon - it was amazing. The Play Your Way To Wimbledon competition had qualifying events around the UK where successful players got the chance to compete in the National Finals. I managed to tip my chair over twice in two days and I can attest, Wimbledon grass is lovely and soft.
I stopped singing when I fell. At first it was practical - I couldn’t leave the house. But I also didn’t want to be seen as I was now and I felt like if I found I’d lost the ability to sing, it would be confirmation that I truly had nothing left.
Years later I’ve made peace with that version of myself. My uncle and cousin play in a band and last year asked me to do a couple of songs with them. I do that now and then, and it’s fun, but I think tennis is more of an expression of my creative self.
I remain realistic, I’m not twenty years old, I have to rest more than half the time and my disease has complicating factors that affects me on and off. I take a huge amount of medication and have to wake up hours before I play so it has time to take effect. I get exhausted just because my nerves are constantly working to interpret a world they can’t understand.
Given my challenges I can’t play many tournaments in a year, so my world ranking won’t get too high. But I play for my health. Mental and physical. I play to see people I know, like and respect. And because it challenges me in every way. I can’t describe the sheer quantity of things that are better for me since I picked up a racket.
Nottingham as a city, its people, institutions and the disability provisions from Nottingham City Council have propelled me forward through all this. From the free disability travel pass I use most days, to Nottingham Tennis Centre, whose lovely management and staff try so hard to help me, to the friends and family who are always supportive when I lean on them. I genuinely wonder if I’d be doing so well if I lived in any other city. Thank you Nottingham.
Sarah Bard’s LP Night Time Acoustics is available from most streaming sites.
For more information about trying wheelchair tennis - you can be any age and don’t have to be a permanent wheelchair user - contact the Tennis Centre directly, nottinghamtcenquiries@lta.org.uk
interview: Jared Wilson
the
Last month we learned that Cineworld cinema in the Cornerhouse will be closing, to be replaced by Vue cinema later in the year. The last few years have seen plenty of change for the cinema industry, so we put some questions to the figureheads at our three other local picture houses; Mark Gallagher at The Arc Cinema, Lucy Askew at Broadway Cinema and Paul Scotton at Savoy Cinema
Tell us a little bit about the history of your cinema…
Mark: The Arc Cinema is an independent cinema chain which first opened in the UK in 2019. In Nottingham we have sites in Beeston and Hucknall. Our focus is on offering state-of-the-art facilities, excellent customer service and films to cater to all tastes. We also pride ourselves on our immersive fan events, which have featured the Batmobile, Ecto-1, DeLorean, Jurassic Park animatronic dinosaurs and even a real jet fighter cockpit.
Lucy: Broadway turns 35 this year. Behind our glossy glass front, we are housed within a Wesleyan Chapel built in 1839. We showcase diverse cinema, including independent, foreign language, and art-house selections. Beyond screenings, we run Film Hub Midlands, supporting film production and exhibition across the region. We also host community events like Pride and Hockley Hustle and run Near Now, an arts and tech program and serve as a vital community hub.
Paul: The Savoy Cinema in Nottingham opened in 1935. The current owner took it over in 1994 and has since then made many improvements that have kept it as a place cinema goers love to visit. Most areas of the cinema have been refurbished, but it’s been done sympathetically to make sure the building keeps its original aesthetic, while also having all the modern amenities like laser projection and comfortable seating.
What is it that you, as a human being, love about cinema?
Paul: As a massive movie fan I love seeing films at the cinema. No matter how big your TV is at home it never compares to seeing it on a cinema screen. I also love that communal feeling of the cinema, seeing a comedy with hundreds of other people laughing with you, or a horror with everyone in suspense, you can feel it as a collective and it makes the experience so immersive.
Lucy: There’s a quality of escape and immersion you can achieve watching a film at the cinema you just can’t get anywhere close to at home. I’m also a huge advocate of the value of collective experiences. Many films are entirely different when you watch them in a crowd and laugh, gasp and cry together.
Mark: Some of my fondest memories are of going to the cinema with my dad as a young boy, and now I get to experience that same joy with my own son. Whether it's a family outing or a night out with friends, I remember every detail. It’s not just the film, but where we grabbed food before and where we went for a drink after. People can talk up their living room TV and soundbar all they like, but in our Hypersense screens at Beeston, we have over 45 Dolby Atmos® speakers, each delivering a unique audio feed. Good luck trying to match that in your bedroom!
Did the news that Cineworld was closing surprise you? Will that and Vue re-opening on the site have any noticeable effect on your own business?
Mark: I’ve been following Cineworld’s financial struggles since COVID and was aware of their challenges. Big companies like
big picture
that carry a huge amount of debt, which can be difficult to sustain in an evolving industry. Cineworld’s Unlimited offer has been a strong draw, and I know there are hundreds of loyal cinemagoers who have stuck with them. I see this as a great opportunity to welcome those customers, show them the quality experience available on their doorstep, and hopefully build a habit of visiting us before Vue reopens the site.
Lucy: Sadly, it's not really a surprise as so many cinemas have closed their doors over the past two years. In the long term, with Vue taking over the space, we don't see it making any difference to our business. As much as we can, we're working on adjusting our program over the next few months to ensure Nottingham audiences don't go without the films they want to see.
Paul: I’ve been aware that they’ve been close to closing for a while now so no, but I do think it’s sad and I’m happy to hear Vue are going to be going in there as it would be strange having that massive building so empty. I’m sure it will make all the other cinemas in Nottingham busier in the short-term once it closes.
How is business for you at the moment? According to some sources cinema audiences have never recovered since the pandemic. Is that reflected by your own experiences?
Paul: I think the cinema landscape has changed but I don’t agree it hasn’t recovered, last year continued to prove that when films like Inside Out 2 and Wicked are released that people still love coming to the cinema. There were so many films this Christmas that families kept coming to see, and we’ve been really busy this last month with our student and adult audiences loving We Live In Time and Nosferatu
Mark: Like many in the industry, we faced challenges post-pandemic, but we’re seeing strong signs of recovery. Audiences are returning for blockbuster releases and independent gems alike. Our focus on local engagement and offering a welcoming, modern cinema experience has helped us buck the trend and grow steadily.
Lucy: It’s a mixed picture. We're pleased with audience numbers, the recent film slate has been strong and 2025 is off to a great start. Our financial future remains challenging due to rising costs over the past five years. We're diversifying with more film courses, venue hire, immersive events and comedy nights to offset that. We’re working a lot harder for a lot less, the ship is a long way from sinking but it is taking on water.
What were your biggest grossing films over the last year and why do you think they were popular?
Lucy: Obviously, we did well with Wicked as I imagine all cinemas did. It didn't hit Barbie heights, but it's the closest we've had in the last year to creating a cultural moment that's hard to escape. Conclave did really well for us; it definitely appeals to a classic Broadway audience; thoughtprovoking with a stellar cast. Early in the year Wicked Little Letters drew good numbers, which I like to think is a reflection of the fact that our audiences love some good sweary content. National Theatre Live screenings have also done really good business. Broadway members couldn't get enough of Prima Facie.
Paul: Inside Out 2 and Wicked were our biggest films last year. Both of them connected strongly with families but they also both connected with adults as well. I think when a film taps into a large audience age range like that they do incredibly well, and both were also very well received by
customers so good word of mouth also helps.
Mark: Business has been strong for us, particularly with families in our communities, which has always been a key focus. It’s no surprise that our highest-grossing films of 2024 were Inside Out 2 and Despicable Me 4, with Moana 2 and Paddington in Peru also ranking in our Top 10. These films continue to bring families through our doors, reinforcing the importance of offering a welcoming, value-driven experience. For grown-ups, Deadpool & Wolverine and Wicked have been the standout box office draws, showing that there’s still strong demand for big event movies. While the industry as a whole may still be recovering, we’re seeing a steady return of audiences who appreciate the premium experience.
Many claim that "cinema is dead" and prefer the convenience of streaming at home. However, recent industry trends suggest otherwise. We believe that the communal experience of watching a film in a cinema cannot be replicated at home
What films do you think will be your biggest successes this year and why?
Lucy: It’s always a difficult one to predict – especially when it can be hard to pin down when new films are going to be released. We think the new Bridget Jones will do well, as will 28 Years Later. We’re seeing a buzz from our audience for the new Walter Sallas film I’m Still Here and The Seed of the Sacred Fig comes highly recommended. We’re also excited to share BAFTA nominated Sister Midnight, which is produced by Broadway residents Wellington Films.
Mark: We’re expecting some major hits this year, and I think Superman will be a surprise success, bringing fresh energy to an iconic character and drawing in both new and longtime fans. Another film that could exceed expectations is Mickey 17, Bong Joon-ho’s much awaited follow-up to 2019’s Parasite. While I don’t have much hope for Captain America: Brave New World or Thunderbolts, I truly believe Fantastic Four: First Steps will kick off a renaissance period for Marvel Studios. And as for the Naked Gun reboot with Liam Neeson - I’m more optimistic than most. Surely it can’t be that bad... and don’t call me Shirley!
Paul: I’m sure Wicked 2 will do just as good as the first part and there are some great family films like A Minecraft Movie and the new live action versions of Lilo & Stitch and How To Train Your Dragon. All of those should have both a strong family and adult audiences as well.
What is it that you feel makes your own cinema’s offering unique?
Paul: Anyone who has visited Savoy knows how unique it is. It’s Nottingham’s oldest cinema and the style and look of the cinema has kept that traditional cinema feel while also having all the modern luxuries cinema goers look for. It’s important to us that our customers have a great experience and we’re constantly investing money into the cinema to do that.
Mark: At The Arc Cinema, we pride ourselves on providing a premium experience at affordable prices. Our auditoriums feature luxury recliner seating throughout as standard, crystal-clear 4k laser projection, and immersive Dolby surround sound. We also focus on local engagement,
from special screenings to supporting community events, making us a cinema that truly feels like part of the neighbourhood.
Lucy: Broadway Cinema is more than just a great place to watch films. It serves as a community hub where individuals can connect with like-minded people, attend film-related courses, and engage with a diverse range of cultural experiences. We have a welcoming Café Bar where you can meet with friends and get great food even if you’re not seeing a film. Supporting Broadway extends beyond individual film screenings; it contributes to the broader film ecology throughout the Midlands.
How do you see the future of cinema over the next few decades - both nationally and for your own venue?
Lucy: Looking decades ahead, we have to be alive to the fact that AI and other technological innovations we can't even imagine yet are going to change film production and how we consume stories beyond all recognition. Alongside that, though, I think the need for community-focused spaces for people to come together and absorb culture collectively will be greater than ever. I see Broadway's future lies in being a centre for innovation, community and creativity, spanning a wide-ranging and evolving scope of media and storytelling.
Mark: The future of cinema is a topic that often sparks debate, especially with the rise of streaming services. Many claim that "cinema is dead" and prefer the convenience of streaming at home. However, recent industry trends suggest otherwise. We believe that the communal experience of watching a film in a cinema cannot be replicated at home. As the industry evolves, we see a future where cinemas continue to thrive by offering unique, highquality experiences that complement the convenience of streaming services at home.
Paul: We’re personally looking forward to celebrating our 90th Birthday this year and in a decade it’ll be our 100th which is amazing. I can’t see Savoy ever disappearing, we’ve got such great and passionate customers. I think cinema in general will continue to grow again and we’ll keep getting some fantastic films that have to be seen on the cinema screen.
Aside from watching films at your place, what other ways can people support you financially?
Lucy: Come and have a coffee or some lunch in the Café Bar and book our newly refurbed private screening room for a party or gathering with friends. Consider hiring a meeting room for business meetings, attend one of our film courses. Become a Broadway member of and get discounts off tickets, pop in and buy a Broadway branded beanie hat or make a donation. We are a registered charity.
Mark: People can support us by purchasing gift cards, which make a perfect present for film lovers and can be used for tickets, snacks, and drinks. We also host a range of special live broadcasts, from West End theatre productions to concerts and sporting events, offering unique experiences beyond traditional movies.
Paul: Treat yourself to a popcorn and drink from Savoy when you come to watch a film. Our customers love our popcorn and Ice Blast combo!
arccinema.co.uk broadway.org.uk savoyonline.co.uk
photos: Nick Archer, Richard Budd, Sofia Gilbert
Hips Don't Lie
After a career in computer science, Marija Zinkevica swapped life behind the screen for days onstage: teaching belly dance in Nottingham and performing in competitions around the world. Ahead of the first Belly Dance Festival at the start of March, we caught up with Marija to hear how this ancient dance can build confidence, community and a deep connection with the body.
Dancing is such a joyful human activity. Like singing, music or other performative arts, the graceful expression and coordination of this artform taps into an almost transcendent part of human behaviour, so much so that it can seem like a gift bestowed upon a special few. Of course behind the talent lies hours of training, a gradual building of confidence, and probably a few trips and falls.
I stepped into one of Marija’s classes for the first time in 2023, having no previous dance experience, other than completing a very rudimentary GCSE taught by my school rugby teacher two decades ago. Filled with around twenty women of diverse ages, shapes, sizes, and skill level, by the time an hour was up we’d stretched, sweated, shimmied, and learnt some steps to a basic choreo routine. As someone who balks at the idea of gyms and jogging, and still has to often take a moment to decipher my left from my right, I was mildly impressed with how much I’d enjoyed my attempt at dancing, and vowed to go back.
Fast forward two years, and I'm certainly nowhere near perfect, but along with finessing some of the moves, I've found there's much to be gained by patiently persevering, turning off my mind for a while and developing a new connection with my body.
“Don’t think, just dance,” is one of the instructions Marija regularly gives in her classes, advice which hits in numerous ways as a student. Too much thinking spoils the broth - clearly, dance can be taught, but to become fluent there’s a need to disconnect part of the brain. Spending time in that special space of focus, movement and detachment is one of the more therapeutic aspects of dance.
“When women come to my classes, they often say for that hour they don’t think about anything that was in their day,” Marija explains. “It happens to me - sometimes I come in to teach after a terrible day, but ten minutes in I’ve forgotten what happened. You’re focussed on the steps and relaxing into your body. Some people don’t come to perform, they just come for that.”
Marija maintains that anyone can dance, but admits it is harder for adults to get started as dance schools often focus on kids of parents with deep pockets. Her classes however are a welcoming space for all women.
“I think the oldest person I had was 84, and she was one of my regulars. We have teenagers as well, or mums that bring their kids,” she tells me. “Some girls just moved to Nottingham, others are in their twenties or thirties when it can be hard to make new friends. So it’s a good way to meet people. My advanced group has been together for a year now and none of us knew each other obviously before, but it's become quite a safe space to just talk about anything.”
Dating back over 6000 years old, belly dance is considered one of the oldest forms of dancing in the world and is characterised by its distinct isolations of the hips and chest. It’s been suggested that it has origins in Pagan fertility rituals to prepare a woman’s body for childbirth, and would be performed by women, for women.
While the roots have never been firmly documented, over time different cultures have weaved threads of their own customs and styles into the dance. Originating in the Middle East, the Western term ‘belly dance’ was coined by French travellers to Egypt in the 18th century. The traditional Egyptian style, Raqs Baladi, was danced socially, during celebrations and gatherings, and eventually evolved into more of a performance, Raqs Sharqi, or ‘dance of the east’.
“Many belly dancers are not Arabic, because even though it originated there, in Egypt dancing like that is not as acceptable for women,” says Marija, adding “but here, it’s for the woman herself. It is still sexualised, but you can be sexy - that’s fine. It’s feminine and powerful, and it’s not for the men.”
Marija first tried belly dancing at age eleven. Originally from Latvia, it was her mother who first began taking classes to keep fit. “I was doing ballroom and traditional dancing a little bit at school, so she brought me to class with her because I liked dancing all the time. But I was the only kid there, everyone was in their 40s or 50s.”
A few years later, Marija’s family moved to the UK, but it wasn’t until she was studying Computer Science at University of Nottingham that she joined the UoN Belly Dance Society and began dancing more seriously. “I started trying my own routines, and bit by bit I began teaching,” she explains. “It was when I realised I enjoyed giving back and seeing the girls progress that I first started doing classes in Nottingham.”
You start looking at yourself in the mirror and liking what you do. You walk better, have better posture, and then and then that mentality comes into your life and you start appreciating your body more
In recent years she’s noticed a rise in popularity of belly dancing in the UK. After working as a consultant in software engineering for a decade, it was only towards the end of 2024 that Marija took the plunge and began teaching full time. “I didn't want to get to seventy and think, ‘Oh I should have tried. I should have done it’,” she explains. “Last year, I made a decision to work on myself and say yes to literally every single thing. I thought, ‘Okay, let's figure out if I'm actually good’. So I've been to four different countries, in five different competitions, and I got a medal in everything that I entered.”
Specialising in Egyptian dance, Marija developed a particular penchant for drum solos after seeing Polish dancer Jasirah perform in 2017 and has built up her skills from there. “That’s where I first fell in love with it. It’s got isolations, shimmies, everything. I copied her routine off YouTube, and practiced it back to back.”
The movements of professional belly dance are certainly impressive, but it’s not purely about performance. “ The main thing people get out of it is confidence. It’s not always fast, but it comes. You can learn a figure of eight or a shimmy and begin layering other moves, and gradually you think, ‘Oh yeah, I can do that’,” Marija explains. “You start looking at yourself in the mirror and liking what you do. You walk better, have better posture, and then and then that mentality comes into your life and you start appreciating your body more.”
Since 2023, Marija has been organising Haflas - informal events where belly dancers can perform and showcase their skills - for her students. This year, she decided to go a step further and host the Hips Don’t Lie Belly Dance Festival, a two day event with performers from all over the world coming to the Albert Hall to showcase and teach their skills.
“Usually if you want to learn from the best you have to go to London, so this is a unique thing for Nottingham,” Marija says. “There will be classes in the day and a gala show in the evening that anyone can attend. We’re bringing over some international stars, like Jasirah from Poland and David Abraham from Argentina, who tour the world with their workshops. To see them perform on stage is just mind-blowing, so to bring that to Nottingham is brilliant.”
The Hips Don’t Lie Belly Dance Gala Show takes place on Saturday 1 March 2025 at the Albert Hall, Nottingham. To book tickets head to marijabellydance.com/hdl2025
Q @marijabellydance
words: Sophie Gargett illustration: Tanya Chulkova
House of Pain
With a record-breaking 96 live wrestling shows held throughout 2024, and numerous training classes held throughout Nottingham, House of Pain Wrestling Academy is one of the most highly regarded professional wrestling academies in the UK. As they celebrate fifteen years, we spoke to owner and Head Trainer Stixx, to learn how the business began and how he builds confidence as a coach.
Can you talk a bit about your journey into the world of wrestling and how House of Pain began?
I started wrestling in 2001. The UK wrestling scene was a very different place back then. I was based in London and looking to make my mark in the profession. As far as the Academy and teaching, it was actually an accident. I moved to Nottingham in 2004 and began helping at a local wrestling school as I'd already been performing myself for four years by then. One day around the end of 2005, I was told the main trainer couldn't make it anymore and was asked to step in. For the next four years I ran the school once a week for someone else, but in 2010 I decided I could make it even bigger and started running things myself.
I chose the name House of Pain as my performing name at the time was ‘The Heavyweight House of Pain’ Stixx, so it made sense. It's gone from once a week in someone else's facility to two classes a day, every day in our own well equipped gym.
Did you think at the time that it would be a fifteen year long enterprise?
To be honest, I didn't know what to think when I first took over, other than that these eager students needed help and guidance, but over those first few years I realised more and more that the lessons weren't just about wrestling. They were about community, confidence building, physical fitness and a welcome distraction from the stress of life. So in 2010 when I took over, I made it my mission to make it as successful as possible, and naturally I was hoping that it would last and continue to grow.
What have been your proudest achievements while running the school?
I think the word achievement can be taken many different ways. From students from the school performing all over the world, to struggling students overcoming their fear,
anxiety or limitations. My own personal achievement of building the academy to such heights and being able to do my dream job for the last fifteen years. You always want to feel that what you do and put out into the world matters and is making a difference and I’m proud to be able to say that we have.
In your years as a coach, how have you seen the sport affect wrestler’s lives?
It's truly a blessing to see and hear how the environment we've created has helped someone overcome or achieve something in their life. The stories are endless and to be a part of that really warms the heart.
I realised more and more that the lessons weren't just about wrestling. They were about community, confidence building, physical fitness and a welcome distraction from the stress of life
What’s the process of training new wrestlers like?
From the outside, it seems like a simple process of starting with beginners, then intermediates, then advanced, but there really is so much more than people think that goes into it. We have to work on their confidence, co-ordination, fitness and charisma. Find what makes them unique and highlight those talents.
We've treated a syllabus for this to make sure that all bases are covered. We have a variety of teachers and classes at the Academy to motivate and push people in different ways and we bring in some of the best wrestlers from around the world to add to the teachings. Everyone is different and
from a teaching standpoint that is a task I love - how to get the information across, how to get the most of the person and encourage without being demanding is something I've had great fun with over the years.
What do you think the importance of wrestling is to Nottingham communities?
I think the key word is fun. Seeing people, whether it be at the academy or our local shows, all leaving with smiles on their faces after having a great time is something that cannot be taken for granted. If we've helped them enjoy themselves as a family or group of friends or made them forget about a problem or stress for a couple of hours, our work is done. People need more of that.
Are you planning any celebrations for the 15th birthday? What else do you have coming up in 2025?
I think the best celebration we could have is to do what brought us to the dance - continue to entertain, inspire, motivate and bring a good time to our students and fans is what got us where we are. To me, doing more of that is the best way to celebrate.
We're constantly adding new classes to the Academy and we've got a newer venue in Sherwood that we'll be running every month as of 7 February. Brand new ones in Bulwell, hopefully East Leake and Radcliffe to add to our rotation of Hucknall, Beeston, Sawley, St Anns, Stapleford and Rainworth.
We're covering as much of Nottinghamshire as possible and looking to continue to put smiles on faces throughout. Along with welcoming new students throughout the year, House of Pain holds numerous live events around Nottingham. To learn more and see the magic of wrestling, head to houseofpainwrestling.wordpress.com.
interview: Caradoc Gayer photo: James Franklin
words: CJ De Barra
Northern Lights: Inside the queer 90s North and Midlands nightlife
We go back to the hedonistic 1990s of Nottingham and the North of England with former photographer, Stuart Linden Rhodes, who comes to Nottingham on February 6 to launch his new book Linden Archives.
Nottingham’s nightlife was arguably at its peak in the nineties. Clubbers had their pick of the best spots from Deluxe on James Street to Ritzy’s on Huntingdon Street, Kool Kat on St. Mary’s Gate or The Hippo on Bridlesmith Gate to name a few.
Queer nightlife was thriving too with The Foresters, Admiral Duncan, MGM, Jaceys and Lord Roberts. With the new nightlife came scene photographers, brave souls who spent their nights documenting the dancefloor until the early hours before sending those images off to editors the next morning.
By the nineties, it was impossible not to ignore the Midlands thanks to pioneering clubs such as Part Two on Canal Street in the early 1980s and the big monthly night, Revolution at MGM. London-based magazines wanted, and needed, a northern contact. This is how Stuart Stuart Linden Rhodes became a scene photographer for both Gay Times and All Points North (APN) magazines.
“Terry George started his own venture called APN and he knew I had a camera. He asked if I wanted to be a scene reviewer so we negotiated what was in it for me - a few drinks. As for Gay Times, I kept bumping into Bill Short who was their fulltime reviewer who came up north from Brighton. Eventually, he said, ‘This is crazy, why don’t you do the North?’” Linden recalled.
The North also included Nottingham, Birmingham and Derby. One of his first stops in the city was at Ritzy’s nightclub, which, depending on your vintage,
is also known as Przym, Oceania, and more recently back to its original title, The Palais. George was invited to photograph a new boyband in 1991 named Take That.
“It was Gary Barlow’s 21st birthday so I asked him tongue in cheek what it felt like to be legal. His response was, ‘I’ll let you know later’,” Linden laughed.
Section 28 was horrendous. You had students come to you, in tears saying, I might be gay and don’t know where to go. I would be breaking the law if I directed them to any sort of help
“They were great and it was such a good time for them. They were young, cheeky and a lot of fun. They were working so hard just grafting away by doing school assemblies at lunchtime and then the gay clubs at night. It was non-stop trying to break through.”
Linden’s photographs show the young crowd in their spandex, leather and glitter complete with a sixteen-year-old Robbie Williams and badly bleached Gary Barlow backstage. When you see the lads on stage, it’s incredible how queer-coded the early years were and how far they were from their later stadium tours.
However, it’s taken until 2025 for the band to admit how much they owe local gay scenes like this for their start.
“Robbie has come out to say something about the gay scene of the 90s and how it made them. They are finally acknowledging the impact of the gay scene on their lives. As you can imagine, these five pretty boys dancing with next to nothing on? The gay scene was out in force!”
During the ‘Covid years,’ Linden revisited his photography realising that he had an archive on his hands. The result has been two books that document the queer scenes as well as an upcoming documentary/drama by Dominic LaClerc.
“I worked with an independent publisher in the North called Pariah Press. They approached me and the book was everything I wanted it to be. The first book was titled, Out and About with Linden: a Queer Archive of the North. I wanted to have the North in the title because too much was being written about London, not enough about the North and I looked at the Midlands as being my patch,” he said.
“The second book, which is simply titled: Linden Archives, is a big coffee table photo book. It’s glitzy and glam. It's focused on the other side of queer life, the daytime photography such as Pride events or picnics. It wasn’t just about queer clubs and darkrooms.”
Linden’s Nottingham photos capture the joy of queer
photos: Linden Archives
nightlife. There are photos of laughing young gay men competing to be Mr Gay UK, drag queens sipping drinks perched on bar stools, bar staff smiling while pulling pints and the truly horrible pub carpets of the 1990s. There is a beautiful energy that pulses through the photos that makes you want to hit the dance floor.
Despite this, the reality outside the clubs was a continuation of the decade before. The AIDS crisis still raged on, there was rampant homophobia and stigma. Thatcher may have gone but her draconian law, Section 28, remained. It prohibited the ‘promotion’ of homosexuality by local authorities in the UK, effectively banning any talk of homosexuality as a valid relationship in schools. As a cautious teacher, Stuart adopted the pseudonym, Linden.
“The students didn’t know and it was never discussed. No one ever asked so it wasn’t a problem. The camera would come out and I would become this alter ego. It was an interesting time because you were these two people,” Linden said.
“I would be sat socialising with drinks then someone would come in and say, ‘Hiya Linden, how are you? Not photographing tonight?’ People would ask why I was being called Linden. It happened a few times so I had to
“It was awful at work because Section 28 was horrendous,” he said. “I was working with teenagers at the time in further education. You had students who had no adult role models in their lives so no one to talk to. You had students come to you, in tears saying, I might be gay and don’t know where to go. I would be breaking the law if I directed them to any sort of help.”
Robbie has come out to say something about the gay scene of the 90s and how it made them. They are finally acknowledging the impact of the gay scene on their lives.
As you can imagine, these five pretty boys dancing with next to nothing on? The gay scene was out in force!
Nightlife changed dramatically in the late 90s and early 00s. Nottingham experienced a change in the late noughties as the scene slowed. But why? The answer is complex. Music changes, recession, gentrification, increasing violence and Grindr all played a part.
“I fizzled out in the late 90s when the scenes changed. When I started, it was disco or High NRG with people having fun. By the time it got to 1996, there was more drug taking and it was more about drinking. There were more people with white powder and bottles of water than anything else and the music was harder,” he said.
Even now the debate rages on about what is causing the closure of so many queer venues. What does Linden think of the scene today?
“One of the reasons for the bar and club closures is the changing demographic of the country. Forty years ago, the average age of the population was around 27 and now it is in the late 40s,” he explained.
“The nightlife isn’t reflecting that. There are a lot of independent little bars opening that are no bigger than your living room, where two mates run the bar and it’s only open at night or over so many hours. They have their little crowd that comes in and the bigger bars or clubs with overheads are closing. There is also the financial side of what is going on in the country which is a factor but there is a shift in what people want which is partly driven by the age difference.”
Linden will bring his archive to Nottingham to launch his new book at Central Library on February 6 as part of LGBT+ History Month. Join Linden as he is in conversation with CJ DeBarra of the Notts Queer History Archive to share his wonderful photographs and the
en V iornment
trees mend us
“A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they shall never sit,” so goes the Greek proverb. Nottingham is a county known worldwide for the leafy Sherwood Forest, but for several years plans have been afoot to create the Sherwood People’s Forest to bring the greenery of our northern woodlands a bit closer to the city. Organiser Sarah Manton tells us more…
Back in the mists of time, in the year 2018, two friends made a cheery pact in a local hostelry. As Robin Hood (aka Ezekial Bone) and I chatted about all things green and creative in The Angel, we thought what a pity it was that visitors enjoying his Robin Hood Town Tour could not experience everyone’s favourite outlaw amongst the greenery of his woodland home (unless they were willing to undertake a 45 minute bus journey!)
Then it dawned on us! We might not be able to move the city closer to the Forest, but we could reforest the city! And with that, we clanked our tankards together, spilled a little fine quality ale and the seeds of the Sherwood People’s Forest were set. What better gift to leave future generations than a rejuvenated ‘garden city’ and to instil a love and sense of stewardship for our shared green spaces in our younger generation?
The initial concept was to plant oaks and other native tree saplings in a spiral from the heart of the city of Nottingham, through Nottinghamshire and out to the Major Oak in the heart of Sherwood Forest. But to be truly a ‘people’s forest’, it couldn’t just be us, it needed to be lots of people from every community over a multitude of generations. And it shouldn’t be just trees - forests are far from monocultures – we should encourage shrubs, flowers, edible crops and the all-important mycorrhizal fungi of the wood-wide-web!
I am a proud board member of Nottingham Open Spaces Forum, which brings together the volunteer gardeners in the city, sharing good practice, news and communicating with the Council. Enthusiasm for the idea of Sherwood People’s Forest was strong amongst the members and Council colleagues and NOSF began to crowd-fund for trees and resources. In 2019, the then Head of Parks and Open Spaces, Eddie Curry, managed to source funding for us to plant eighty mature oak trees as a celebration of the renovations at Nottingham Castle – one to mark each of the primary schools and special schools in the city. These were trees of around 2m high and grown at Green Mile Trees, in Retford.
The first three oaks were funded by Nottingham Open Spaces Forum to demonstrate our
commitment to the Sherwood People’s Forest mission and the planting took place in Woodthorpe Grange Park on the most atmospheric of mornings in November 2019. We all helped to dig the huge holes and plant the trees – local friends and members of NOSF, Eddie Curry, Sally Longford, then Deputy Leader of the Council, Patrick Candler of The Sherwood Forest Trust and the most appropriately named, Ian Major (aka Taff), Sherwood Forest Ranger and absolute sylvan legend. No-one was more passionate or knowledgeable of all things verdant than Taff. RIP, Taff.
to be truly a ‘people’s Forest’, it Couldn’t just be us, it needed to be lots oF people From e Very Community oVer a multitude oF generations
Jess Kemp, my late beloved friend and creative ally at Curious? (our Sneinton shop and studio) had prepared a special Sherwood People’s Forest blessing, borrowed from multiple sources of Pagan and wassailing traditions. We bless each planting with these words and actions to ensure their long and fruitful life. It was an incredible and moving event, a true commitment to good, green things for our city. And as a be-cloaked Robin Hood approached through the swirling mist, it could not have been more perfect. I will hold the joy of that day in my heart forever.
At Christmas-time 2019, word was out that the Hockley Hustle music festival had raised its usual hefty wodge of cash for good causes. Included in this amount was £1,000 ear-marked for the planting of 1,000 trees in the local vicinity. Several chums flagged up this opportunity and I contacted a young man named Adam Pickering. Little did I know that not only was this fortuitous meeting with this whirlwind of positive energy going to result in the Hockley Hustle Holt (the first Miyawake style forest of 1,000 trees within Nottingham city) at Woodthorpe Park, but that Adam would go on to become one of my most trusted friends and comrade in so many future escapades!
As the leaves turned golden and fell and the young trees lay dormant in the ground, we made plans for the Castle Oaks to be gently lifted from the earth and moved to their permanent new homes during the winter tree-planting months of 2020. We began with an appropriate level of enthusiasm, gaggles of excited children, Robin Hood in full regalia, local councillors and representatives from the Castle. It was just as we had envisaged.
Then, of course, the world stood still as we went into the first Covid lockdown. We tried to struggle on gamely, planting at times with just a school site manager in attendance, other times with groups of children standing watching us plant the trees from the obligatory 2m safe social distance. Little did we know that lockdowns would be multiple and that life would throw us some terrible personal curve-balls, as the planting continued.
The 1,000 trees of the Hockley Hustle Holt were finally planted in 2021 under the invaluable expertise of Rachel Richards of Plant NG Wild Tree Nursery and are a thriving example of what can be achieved when people commit to plant and care for newly establishing trees. The last batch of the Castle oaks were planted by volunteers in Colwick Woods just weeks ago and we hope for the same level of care for them. This month, we’re working with Green Hustle to plant their 10,000th trees (with another 5,000 or so going in along the way) at King George V Playing Fields in Aspley and Southglade Park in Bestwood. Fortunately, we set a hundred year timeframe for the establishment of Sherwood People’s Forest, knowing that we would not necessarily see the fruits of our labours, but that we would definitely set the seeds, broadcast the philosophy and firm as many bare roots into the ground as we could in the time granted to us. A century seems like a good round figure. We plant on.
To find out more about and help support the Sherwood People’s Forest, head to nosf.org.uk Sign up to volunteer for February’s tree plantings via @greenhustlefest
Q @sherwoodpeoplesforest
words: Sarah Manton photo: Tom Platinum Morley
Nice Slice Baby
words & photos : Lucy Campion
Opened by former MasterChef contestant Amy Vyse, Vanilla Bean is an artisan bakery, café and patisserie in Bingham, which doubles as the new residence for popular Nottingham supper club Incognito Club. Lucy Campion, food co-editor, chatted to Amy about her culinary journey so far and tried a selection of the baked goods on offer.
Few cafés can boast a full house within half an hour of opening, even in the city centre, but there isn’t a spare table in sight at Vanilla Bean when I arrive on a Saturday morning and waiting customers queue out of the door for the duration of my visit.
From the street outside, a warm, pink glow from the window beckons passersby into the sixteen-seater café. The bakery’s ethos is emblazoned on the wall in neon lights: ‘A croissant a day keeps the doctor away’.
Vanilla Bean is clearly a welcome addition to Bingham, the Nottinghamshire town where owner Amy lives and says she spotted “a small gap in the market she could sneak into.”
I’m eager to learn more about Amy’s culinary journey, which goes back much further than her stint on one of TV’s toughest cooking competitions in 2020 and begins on a whole other continent.
“My real love of food developed when I lived in Australia,” Amy says. “I moved to Melbourne when I was eighteen for a gap year and ended up staying for five years! The markets were on my doorstep and suddenly I had access to all these incredible fresh foods and cuisines that I’ve never even heard of before.
It was in the aftermath of Amy’s Masterchef appearance that she launched Incognito Club, a private fine dining business which quickly gained popularity with foodies across Nottingham
“I never intended for food to become my career. I helped my mum set up her cake shop, Strawberry Cupcakes, years ago and went off to find my own path, ending up working at an estate agent. I was pressured by my friends to apply for Masterchef but never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d get onto the show.”
It was in the aftermath of Amy’s Masterchef appearance that she launched Incognito Club, a private fine dining business which quickly gained popularity with foodies across Nottingham through pop-up supper clubs hosted at The Oat Shed in Kimberley and The Jolly Pug in Sherwood.
“During Covid, I was put on furlough. I had a baby on the way and couldn’t survive on the little income provided so I decided to start doing takeaways for friends and family,” Amy explains. “That escalated, I handed in my notice and Incognito Club became my full time job.
“Even though I now have Vanilla Bean, I’ll still be keeping Incognito Club alive. We are planning to have a monthly supper club here. The first takes place in February and has already sold out. I’ve decided to take a step back from private dining bookings for a few months until Vanilla Bean is fully up and running. I tried juggling a full day at the bakery with a private dining job in the evening and it was a real eye opener - I haven’t been that tired since my daughter was a newborn! I’ve built some amazing friendships with my private dining clients
though so it would be too sad to say goodbye for good.”
Vanilla Bean opened shortly before Christmas, following an extremely successful Kickstarter campaign that saw over £21,000 raised in just thirty days to support Amy’s newest venture. Having personally pledged to the cause, I was interested to know how important the campaign was in making the café and bakery a reality.
“So important!” Amy says, “I actually ran out of money pretty quickly, which for anyone in this business won’t be a shock due to the increase in cost for literally everything - don’t get me started on prices for butter at the moment… But the Kickstarter really helped me get on my feet and it also built my confidence. Every pledge helped me to believe in myself.”
“Opening Vanilla Bean has been a lot harder than I thought mentally and emotionally but the last two weeks have been insane and I am so proud of myself and my incredible little team!”
With Vanilla Bean’s display cabinet bursting with a delectable range of pastries, cakes and even sausage rolls, it would be easy for a first-time customer to find themselves struggling to choose what to order. When I ask Amy to share any ‘must try’ items on her menu, she says: “Oh, this is a hard one… the pistachio croissants are amazing but now we are also doing cherry bakewell ones too - imagine an almond croissant but elevated! And I can’t forget our trademark fruit mousses.”
After enjoying a raspberry-shaped, mousse creation, I have to agree it’s one to order. This picture-perfect dessert lived up to Vanilla Bean’s patisserie promises, with an eye-catching raspberry exterior made from red velvet cocoa powder and a rich raspberry and white chocolate mousse encased inside.
I’d also add the pain au chocolat to your ‘must try’ list. While perhaps not the most adventurous choice, it is the best pain au chocolat I’ve had in years and I’d happily make the hour-long trip from my house to Bingham to scoff this pastry again. Made from a light, buttery pastry, it was soft and delicate without being too flaky, with a delicious dark chocolate tucked between the layers.
If you’re looking for something a little lighter than pastry or cake, be sure to check what the special of the day has to offer. When I visit, it’s a beautiful chai granola served with greek yoghurt, strawberries, blackberries and a sprinkling of petals - the kind of healthy option that feels like a treat rather than a compromise!
Finally, it would be criminal to visit a bakery and leave without freshly baked bread. Focaccia, sourdough, baguettes and farmhouse bread all feature on Vanilla Bean’s front-of-shop counter. The small sourdough loaf I bought lasted less than 48 hours after arriving home, as we devoured it slice by toasted slice, with ample amounts of salted butter.
Vanilla Bean is located at 11a Market Street, Bingham, NG13 8AB. Opening hours are 10am to 4pm Wednesday to Friday and 9am to 2pm on Saturday.
Q @vanillabean_notts
A
Gob Story
One of Nottingham’s leading poetry groups, GOBS Collective, turns five this year. With an impressive list of publications, events and live showcases under their belts, our Literature Editor Andrew Tucker talks about the need for such creative communities that help people find their poetic voice.
Two hundred and fifty years ago, the poet Thomas Gray reflected in a country graveyard, wondering how many ‘mute inglorious Miltons’ lay unrecognised there. How many voices, full of potential, had been shushed by circumstance or self-doubt? In Nottingham today it’s tempting to ask the same question. All those faces on the tram, at the library, in the Co-op, might brim with ideas - but how many get their daydreams cut short with ‘perhaps I shouldn’t’? What we’d need then is a group to help us find our poetic voice, and thankfully some of these exist - one of the best is GOBS Collective.
Founded in the wake of Mouthy Poets' closure in 2017, GOBS was the natural successor, a follow-up collection of poets rising ‘like a phoenix from the ashes’, now recently established as a community interest company. They’re a collective in the most natural sense, pooling ideas and creative resources, turning their quarterly meetings into such a stream of events that they feel like an industry unto themselves; if you removed every other literary group from Notts, there’d still be a poetry scene as long as GOBS was left standing.
I went from feeling so negative about myself to appearing at the Nottingham Playhouse as part of the GOBS Earth Showcase in the space of nine months… now I feel I just want to write and perform 24/7
In fact their list of achievements reads a bit like an alternate Twelve Days of Christmas: five years in existence, four anthologies published, three live showcases (and three online). There’ve been performances at We Out Here, Nottingham Poetry Festival and Hockley Hustle… book clubs; workshops both in and out of doors; open mics; a regular live spoken-word night called ‘Spraybox’; community mixer events with food and poetic games; and, for the early risers, GOBS’ 6am Sunrise Sessions, which involve mindfulness sessions and, if you’re anything like me, a large blood infusion of coffee. In other words, might as well throw the kitchen sink in there too.
But good ideas are the easy part - what’s harder is keeping the scorching work ethic that it takes to bring them into existence. At the centre of GOBS are figures like Bridie Squires and Cara Thompson, the sort of cheerfully tireless people who, at the end of a cuppa-catch-up, disappear with a cloud of dust and a comedy tornado sound. These stalwarts of the local literary scene might hold the group together, but one of GOBS’ strengths is its commitment to newcomers. Many members have never written poetry before joining, while for others the thought of performing on stage was a cold-sweat nightmare.
We spoke to Sarah Wheatley, just one of the 300 people who GOBS have worked with over the last half-decade. “I had major issues with my confidence,” Sarah told us. “I wasn’t prepared for the warmth, love and support I received instantly from the GOBS community. There is no other community like it - inclusive, safe… united with the feeling that everyone is holding and carrying you.”
Sarah felt her perspective change at lightning speed. “I went from feeling so negative about myself to appearing at the Nottingham Playhouse as part of the GOBS Earth Showcase in the space of nine months… Now I feel I just want to write and perform 24/7! More importantly though, I want to encourage and nurture others in their poetry journey. To help me with this, I’m so thrilled that this year I’ve joined the GOBS Team as a Shadow Poet Facilitator, which is a huge privilege.”
And that’s often how successful creative groups build for the future: they inspire those they work with to join the team, and so the enterprise grows. GOBS Collective has recently been successful with a significant Arts Council grant, and when singing the praises of creative projects that involve people from all communities, it’s easy to get lost in the language of grant applications: deprivation, dynamism, resilience… These are the dull abstract words that funders need, but they describe something very real for Sarah and the hundreds whose lives GOBS has touched.
If we’re sometimes thought of as on the periphery, then Nottingham needs to be its own champion, and its creative self-confidence will happen one person, and one line of poetry, at a time. Creative fulfilment, the kind GOBS has as its mission, can change the whole colour of your life. And there’s nothing like a homemade golden crown - like the Collective made for their 2024 Poetry Slam - to give your confidence a boost.
So as we raise a (dry February?) toast to the first five years of GOBS, we’re celebrating not only its many specific achievements but the ethos it helps to stir around us - a belief that most people have something remarkable that they haven’t said yet, that poetry can carry us across our misgivings into a better understanding of ourselves. The people who Thomas Gray mourned in his poem are those who ‘kept the noiseless tenor of their way’, but these days we have the opportunity to learn from their silence. Let’s just admit: we’re a gobby city, and we’ve got lots to shout about.
You can learn more about GOBS Collective and their upcoming events, such as the GOBS Poetry Book Club, happening on Saturday 22 February 22 at Nottingham Central Library via gobscollective.org
Q @gobscollective
illustration: Jim Brown
Readers, I send this column to you from a secure location near Birmingham, where I am recuperating. Owing to my propensity to get merry and have too much popcorn over the winter lull, the editorial team have warned me that they will now be omitting any details that risk bringing the magazine into disrepute. When I heard this I was apoplectic, but after some regrettable rocking on a horse, during which nobody was seriously traumatised, I have agreed to work within these shackles as I talk about censorship.
Becoming a Censor was the highest dignity in the Roman Republic (after Dictator). It meant you could more or less mash whatever wild potato you wanted. As well as registering citizens and their jobs in the Census, Censors were in charge of public morality, regimen morum This was serious malarkey. When the Censor asked ‘do you have a wife’, you had to declare it from your heart. Those who fell foul of the Censor, including singletons and Roman incels, could be branded with a shameful mark, the nota censoria
Nowadays we’re not quite so censor-tive - though legal scholar Tim Wu warns instead of ‘reverse censorship’. In the social media age, it’s far easier to pump excess syrup into the public bloodstream than it is to scrub out what’s true. You can buy 1984 at Shanghai Airport, but why read it if it’ll give you six-secondweasel-video withdrawals? The danger isn’t that powerful ideas disappear down the plughole, it’s that they’re diluted by nonsense, and we become utterly nincompooped.
So, don’t be afraid to be branded with the nota censoria when the oligarchs dictate the new social boundaries. And when they try to distract us by waving their hands around, let’s look away. It’s just common Cens.
Q @andrewtuckerleavis
Censorship
words: Andrew Tucker photo: GOBS Collective
Hailing from Leeds and having made his name in Nottingham art and music, Brendan O’Melia, aka Metempsychosis Lights, is one of our city’s most creative minds in stage lighting and visual art. His work has featured in live music shows of many genres, from trance to space rock, in venues from Liquid Light to The Angel. Here he speaks on how he built himself such a unique career.
I am originally from Leeds/West Yorkshire and came to Nottingham 24 years ago to study a Masters in Fine Art MA ADAPT (Advanced Practice and Theory), part time, in Derby. After getting the Masters I decided to stay. My background is as an expressive painter. I switched to work in narrative based audiovisual installations but always had a painterly or expressionistic approach.
I set up Metempsychosis Lights after seeing and being inspired by space rock band Hawkwind, supported by Ozric Tentacles at Rock City 19 May 2003.
I had a smoke machine left over from being an Alternative DJ in the 90s at the legendary Le Phonographique Nightclub in Leeds, and then started acquiring analogue effects projectors. I was inspired by lightshows from Fruit Salad Lights and Chaos Illumination. I came up with the name Metempsychosis Lights, relating to the transmigration of the soul. It is also a spacey track by early Steve
Cosmic Titans
art W orks
Hillage band Uriel, (on their album Arzachel). The early shows with my friend Scott, were for a band called The Henry Road, mainly at Junktion7, but I did various other venues in the East Midlands, including The Orange Tree for Audio Massage where I started working with music promoters I’m Not from London for a lot of their early shows and have done ever since.
These early shows for The Henry Road were very spontaneous with Scott and myself up on stools at the back switching over the effects in real time. In those days we had 16mm film as well as Oil Wheels and other Optikinetics effects, strobes, smoke, anything we could use.
I worked as a lighting engineer for over ten years for a trance night at the club Blueprint. The night eventually moved to The Maze after it closed. I did lights for many events at The Maze including Sublogik, Muzika! and Brouhaha (until it closed in 2019). I also worked with Trancedance (Ascension)
at The Marcus Garvey Ballroom, then as Earthdance London from 2014, and was part of their crew for several years.
I have been working with video through a space rock band called Lord Ha Ha but did not start working seriously in video until lockdown, when there was opportunity to create visuals for live streaming.
Since then I have done videos for Karma events, Derby Dionysus Festival of Psychedelia and The Black Barn at Off the Tracks Festival for the last two years.
I’ve also done widespread, panoramic analogue projection for my occasional event Psychedelic Renaissance
I do not have anything planned for Light Night in 2025 but have been involved in the event over the years. There should be various gigs for 2025. Look for the name on any promotion or online discussion: Metempsychosis Lights Q @metempsychosislights
In 1980, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nottingham received a letter containing a loose piece of chalk. The letter was from a former student, who explained that the chalk had been used by Albert Einstein during his visit to the university on 6 June 1930. Einstein had written equations on a blackboard during his visit, signing the corner once he had finished. This unique blackboard is now preserved at the university. Nearly a century after Einstein’s visit, Lakeside Arts is presenting Cosmic Titans: Art, Science and the Quantum Universe, an exhibition featuring newly commissioned artworks by nine artists.
The exhibition explores the parallels between the mathematical investigations of scientists and the creative explorations of artists, bringing these synergies to life in an interactive and educational exhibition. Neil Walker, co-curator, emphasised that the boundaries between scientific and artistic experiments should not be separated. The University of Nottingham has long championed cross-disciplinary conversations through its ARTlab programme, co-founded by Dr Ulrike Kirchner, co-curator of the exhibition. Dr Kirchner described how both artists and quantum physicists - scientists investigating the smallest building blocks of the physical universeshare a fundamental goal: making the intangible tangible. Professor Silke Weinfurtner, co-curator of the exhibition, was struck by the similarities between the lab and the studio of artist Conrad Shawcross during a visit. She noted that science and art share processes of experimentation, adaptation, and building. Shawcross agreed, highlighting that science and art
both demand bold vision, hard work, and high levels of skill. These shared pursuits form the basis of the exhibition.
By focusing on the smallest molecules, the exhibition asks some of the biggest questions
Visitors will experience a range of engaging and thought-provoking works, including giant bells colliding to simulate black hole mergers, sonic waves vibrating water in a petri dish, and life-sized representations of abstract concepts like the multiverse. Other highlights include textile based interpretations of the body in space, a coin-toss experiment exploring personal decision-making, and a VR lens that tackles the complexities of quantum research. Additional exhibits feature analogue photography of University of Nottingham laboratories, short films interviewing physicists across the UK, and an interferometer
- built from LEGO - that demonstrates how light waves interfere with one another.
The exhibition challenges visitors to interact with artistic interpretations of intricate mathematical concepts. While fully grasping these ideas may be near-impossible, the artworks bring the underlying equations and studies to life, offering a visual and physical experience of the incomprehensible. By focusing on the smallest molecules, the exhibition asks some of the biggest questions. I left with a renewed curiosity about physics, a deeper appreciation for the minds and laboratories at the University of Nottingham, and a sense of wonder about how interactive art can translate complex scientific research into tangible experiences—helping us consider our place in the subatomic world we inhabit.
Visit Cosmic Titans at Lakeside Arts’ Djangoly Gallery and Angear Visitor Centre until Sunday 27 Apr 2025. Entry is free
words: Benjamin Kay photos: : Nick Dunmur
tougH Cookies
words: Phil Taylor
photo: Christoffer Zetterlund and Emilia Jagerman
On the heels of their latest EP titled Headache, Swedish indie-rock group Girl Scout are gearing up for a tour of the UK and Europe, new music, and lots of fun. We caught up with front woman Emma Jansson ahead of their gig at The Bodega later this month.
Girl Scout are the kind of band that feel familiar, like they've been part of the scene for many years, such is their easy confidence and tight chemistry. But with only three EPs released to date, they're still getting started. Formed in Stockholm during Covid lockdown by fellow jazz musicians and students Emma Jansson (vocals/guitar) and Viktor Spasov (guitar), with the addition of bassist Evelina Arvidsson Eklind and drummer Per Lindberg, the four-piece are now tight knit, experienced and, above all, excited about the niche they're carving out. Their music is strong and pushy: fresh, innovative indie-rock built on skilful musicianship and razor-sharp lyrics.
Ahead of Girl Scout’s UK tour, vocalist and guitarist Emma is energised and more than ready to hit our country’s stages, including one of Nottingham’s best loved: The Bodega. Girl Scout last performed in Nottingham in May 2024 (as part of Dot To Dot Festival): their blazing thirty-minute set left a lasting impression on those who saw it, and on the band, too.
"That was a great gig - and the sound was really good there. We had a lot of fun!" Emma enthuses.
Girl Scout's Headache EP was released in November 2024: a four-track record which showcases the band's punchy music and points to confident direction of travel.
"It seems this EP has been the most well-received, and we've also done almost all of it ourselves,” says Emma. “It's really encouraging for us to know that our own ideas are good enough, and it translates to the audience. It's been really rewarding."
Now that the EP has bedded in, the band are excited about taking it on the road.
"We haven't been to the UK since we released the EP, and it'd be remiss if we didn't take every opportunity we can to come and play for you guys," says Emma.
"Being on tour is like being on a terribly planned trip," Emma continues, with some sadness. "Some days you'll go somewhere and it's beautiful. We played Paris in the summer with Alvvays and we had two hours of free time... we got a croissant and played the show, and then we left. And sometimes you arrive so late you're basically in the venue for the whole day."
The Girl Scout tour takes in ten cities in England and Scotland, and Emma explains why the band is spending so much time here.
"In the UK the audiences are so good - they're so social and open, and genuinely interested," she says. "There's a crowd for it and there's genuine interest in it... In Sweden, it's still very much a sub-culture I'd say."
Our city – which features in the middle of the upcoming tour – is one which seems already to have left a mark on the band.
In the UK the audiences are so good - they're so social and open, and genuinely interested... In Sweden, it's still very much a sub-culture I'd say
"I remember Nottingham clearly because we had the whole day there... we went to a rock pub which had a pinball machine and a photo booth!" Emma says. "It was really nice. We had a really great day in Nottingham. It's a beautiful city and fun to walk around."
"And I really wanted to try Jollibee," she adds. "It's fun to try local things of course, but I'm so chronically online that I always see clips of people trying chain food so I want to try that sort of thing, too"
As the band returns to The Bodega, what can people expect from a Girl Scout show?
"I've heard a lot of people say they're surprised that the live show is a bit heavier than the recordings," Emma muses. "We're a pretty energetic live act... We think it's really fun so hopefully that translates back to the audience. It's just a good old-fashioned rock show! If you like that sort of thing, then you should go."
Girl Scout plans to release an album (their debut LP) in late autumn 2025, and Emma reveals that new material is still under development.
"We're in a very creative state right now, which is fun," says Emma. "We haven't recorded anything yet – we have a couple of songs we know we want on the album, but there are a couple of songs yet to be
written, to make it what we want it to be."
Many artists take a more compartmentalised approach to the musical cycle: a few months of touring alternating with a period of time further away from public view as they focus on writing and recording. But Girl Scout – a band brimming over with creativity – are mixing their work, planning new songs while spending plenty of time performing, too. This creates more room for the band to showcase potential new songs in front of an audience, and for inspiration which strikes while on the road to find its way on to a studio recording.
"We get a lot of ideas on tour as well, like during soundcheck when there's downtime. It's fun when you get those little moments when everyone's in the zone," says Emma.
As a result, the upcoming tour is likely to feature never-before-heard songs, she suggests.
"We're thinking of trying some stuff that's hopefully going to be on the album – sneaking a few unreleased tracks in there. But it's a mystery to me even, which ones it will be!
”It's fun to play it by ear a little bit, like it doesn't feel too calculated," Emma continues. "And it's fun to play a little hidden gem... or a hidden piece of trash depending on how the song turns out!" she laughs.
That idea of fun is one which keeps coming up in conversation with Emma, and one which is almost tangible when hearing Girl Scout play.
"If you didn't love it, it wouldn't be worth it. It's not easy being a musician, and financially it's borderline impossible. It's not a great career choice if you don't enjoy it, but luckily we do and it's really rewarding," Emma says.
You can catch that spirit when Girl Scout perform at The Bodega on Tuesday 11 February. Emma is more than open to local recommendations, so be sure to catch up with her and the band at the gig and pass on your Nottingham tips!
Q @girlscouttheband
If you’re from Nottingham and want to get added to our list of music writers, or get your tunes reviewed, hit us up at music@ leftlion.co.uk
Rainbow Frog Biscuits Crumbs (EP)
Quirky Leicestershire-based alternative pop singer-songwriter Rainbow Frog Biscuits (real name Amber Louise) is fleeting sunshine (and rainbows) personified in their debut EP. Commemorating the last few weeks of 2024, which its original release last November, the extended play also perfectly complements the fresh anticipation of 2025 ahead. Crumbs is RFB’s sentimental musical scrapbook; an anthology of lyrical anecdotes, upbeat acoustics, and relatable loops of spilling and spiraling romantic confessions, as she navigates and reflects on the world around us – leaving a trail of breadcrumbs wherever we go. Five heartwarming tunes guaranteed to lift the frosty winter blues, perfect for any fans of Dodie, Beebadoobee or Mitski. Katherine Monk-Watts
Eleanor McGregor Muscle Memory (EP)
Muscle Memory is an intimate, vulnerable record in so many ways: here, Eleanor McGregor shares some of her most personal moments, exploring the visceral impact of relationships on every aspect of our emotions and lives. But, across the four tracks - which are recorded with stark simplicity - Eleanor develops strength. The first two songs, including the perceptive title track, are both gently sung with only an acoustic guitar for accompaniment. But then, there's a subtle upward shift with the addition of synths and vocal harmonies in Letting People Go. This ties in with an increasing sense of realisation and maturity in the lyrics which finds its conclusion with the stripped-back Inbetween It’s a remarkable EP, proving the close connection between our human emotions and heartfelt, honest music.
Phil Taylor
Jayahadadream & Gardna Fine Art (Single)
Nottingham’s honorary hip-hop daughter teams up with Bristol MC Gardna on an infectious flow of binaural beats and current hip-hop. There are multiple other influences, from reggae to underground grime. This is a number that is imbued with transcending waves of sound and passionate prosaic verses which demonstrate Jaya’s evolving talent as a writer as well as an artist. The latest rendition of the track features a remix from Baxter and, as Jaya recites, “I live for the art, it’s a vibe, it's a sesh". This seems a decent summary of the track’s components and while there is a cultural concoction of multiple genres, the vibe is all about capturing art in the moment, the slot in time where we stop to appreciate what is put before us. It questions our notions of what art means to different people. This combined craft is a contemporary case of modern music's ability to break new bounds. Lewis Oxley
Jake Greener Sun Is High (Single)
Nottingham-based indie musician Jake Greener is a rising solo star who embraces guitar-driven music, drawing from a range of genres and influences. In his new single Sun is High, the soothing guitar melded with the gentle drumming provided by Natt Webb make a perfect backdrop to Jake's voice. This is a joy to listen to. In a nutshell, the song is about witnessing the tragic situation of another: like seeing a car crash in slow-motion while being intimately aware of some of that feeling from experiences in your own past. Many of the lyrics here are about the mundane things that still come to pass as usual while you’re occupied with an unforgiving situation. Faye Stacey
A brand new band is a great sign of a thriving music scene; Nottingham's latest is called Alice for Breakfast and their debut Sugar Crash heralds an exciting new voice on our circuit. Drawing on a wide range of genres, the track opens with brooding, chunky guitars and whispered count-in. Then, it opens up into wide-ranging riffs, soaring vocals and subtly expanding drums. Layering in more guitars, giving the bass a time to shine, and allowing those drums to display their potential, there's a lovely feeling of exploration and a band excited to show what they're made of. The guttural screams of joy and abandon towards the end hint at a thrilling live experience when these guys get out among us. Watch out Nottingham! Expect an album's-worth of tracks throughout 2025. Phil Taylor
Alice for Breakfast Sugar Crash (Single)
interview: Rose Mason illustration: Kathryn Cooper
Our oldest contributor Mike Scott is the chair of the Notts branch of Keep our NHS Public, a two-decade old organization campaigning against privatization and underfunding of the National Health Service. With more discourse than ever on the problems that the NHS is facing, we speak to Mike about why the institution that saves us is so worth saving.
What is Keep Our NHS Public?
Keep Our NHS Public was founded in 2005. It's a national campaigning organisation with branches all over the country. I'm the chair of the Notts group. There's been concerns for a long time that the NHS was being gradually privatised and Keep Our NHS Public (KONP) was set up to oppose that. We are not attached to any political party and will have anybody in who shares our view of the NHS. I think that's important. We will campaign on local issues and we're quite happy to criticise anybody who is doing the wrong thing.
What do you get up to in the group?
Because we are a fairly widely known campaign group, the senior managers who run the various different bits of the NHS are happy to keep us on board. We meet with them on a regular basis. Recently we met with the chief executive of the Nottingham University Hospital Trust. We meet with him and other senior managers on a fairly regular basis.
We also meet up with what's called the Integrated Care Board, which sounds very boring, but actually it's very important, because the Integrated Care Board is responsible for all NHS services in the whole of Nottinghamshire, making sure that they are offered to all members of the public. How far they succeed, another matter.
What do you believe?
One of the myths about the NHS is that it's got too expensive and we can't afford it, which is a really ignorant thing to say, because there's nothing more important, not only to the individuals and families, but also to the economy as a whole, as having people reasonably healthy.
For the last fifteen years or so, the NHS has been grossly underfunded and has been gradually under more pressure. When people complain about the NHS, it isn't really the fault of A&E, the doctors, nurses or GPs. It's the fault of the government.
The result is that every system is creaking. There are not enough midwives or ambulances, one of the reasons why there's long waiting lists is because there aren't enough GPs, and the remaining GPs are getting burnt out.
People say the NHS is too expensive. We can't afford it. But actually, if you look at the statistics for comparable countries, that is completely untrue. The British government pays 21% less than the French government for health services, and 39% less than the German government. So if they can do it, then Britain can do it as well.
One of the things that we've discovered from the meetings that we have with senior managers is that, at the moment, over 10% of health spending in Nottinghamshire in the last year was not on the NHS directly. It was going to organisations outside the NHS, mainly private companies. 10% is £279 million a year, and every pound that goes out of the NHS is a pound less to spend on NHS patient services.
If this process isn't reversed, we will end up with a completely two tier system like they have in America, where if you've got money, the service is brilliant. If you haven’t, it's rubbish. That is really where privatisation leads
What is so bad about privatisation?
Private companies are there to make a profit. Legally in Britain anyway, it's an obligation of private companies under Company Law that they should consider the interests of their shareholders before anything else.
When you get people like Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary saying we're going to get the private sector in to support the NHS - the private hospitals don’t do the same things that the NHS does. They cherry-pick the easy and cheap operations, and then leave the difficult ones to the NHS to do. This leaves people in the most need, waiting longer.
If a private sector organisation is doing an operation on behalf of the NHS, they are charging the NHS for that service. So it costs significantly more for an operation to be done by the private sector, on behalf of the NHS, than if the NHS was doing it directly itself.
What we're concerned about is that if this process isn't reversed, we will end up with a completely two tier system like they have in America, where if you've got money, the service is brilliant. If you haven’t, it's just rubbish. That is really where privatisation leads. The NHS was set up to be a fully public service in 1947. I don't remember that, I’m not quite that old. But it's gradually becoming less and less of a public service, and that is really what we're there to oppose.
What has been your biggest campaigning success? There was a multinational company called Carillion that went bankrupt about six years ago. They ran the cleaning, catering and maintenance at QMC and City Hospital, and they were just awful. Both the staff and patients hated them. They were all about cost cutting. Nurses were doing the cleaning on their own wards because there weren't enough cleaners. Eventually it got to the point where there were rats seen in one of the kitchens at City Hospital.
UB40 did a song that went ‘There's a rat in me kitchen, what am I gonna do?’ and so we managed to borrow a giant inflatable rat that was blown up like a bouncy castle. It was about twelve feet high. We set it up outside the front of the QMC and had the UB40 song, running on a loop.
That got quite a lot of publicity, and we spent a lot of time arguing with the senior managers at the hospital and the board who had oversight of the whole operation. They kept saying, “We have taken this up with them. We're just giving them one more chance”. We were thinking, how many ‘one more chances’ are they going to get?
This was a two year campaign, and we kept going. Eventually, the management said ‘they're in breach of contract’. They threw them out and took the services back in-house. The killer thing was that when they took the cleaning services back in-house, they had to immediately hire fifty more cleaners in order to get a basic level of cleanliness. So you can see how Carillion were making their money.
KONP Nottingham and Nottinghamshire meet monthly at the Vat and Fiddle Pub, Queensbridge Rd. To join the group via affiliate membership, head to keepournhspublic.com
People of Palestine
interview: Autumn Parker
image: Nottingham Palestine Solidarity Campaign
In advance of Nottingham’s very first Palestine Film Festival, we spoke to the vice-chair of our city’s Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Iro Bagiantera, about what exactly attendees can expect from the event, taking place on Sunday 2 February at Nottingham Contemporary.
What is the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and how did you get started with it?
Palestine Solidarity Campaign is an organisation of members who are looking to fight for peace, equality and justice for the Palestinian people against the colonial occupation that Israel has placed them in since the 1940s. PSC is a national organisation and we are trying to do a variety of different actions to keep the Palestinian cause alive, such as large scale protests, cultural events and workshops. Despite taking part in various pro-Palestine campaigns back in my home country of Greece, I really only got started with PSC since the beginning of the current genocide in late 2023. The organisation has been going for over thirty years, including the Nottingham branch, with some of the founders still active in the struggle today.
The film festival isn’t your first all day event, you did a Cultural Day back in November 2024, how did that come about?
The Cultural Day was a way to break out of just local level protesting and try something new to capture the cultural spirit of Palestine as a secondary way of resistance. It was a sold out day at the Nottingham Contemporary, and we had many people from a variety of backgrounds show up to experience a wide range of food, dance and music, which allowed everyone who attended to get directly involved.
Not only are we flesh and bone, but we carry landscapes, smells, foods, dancing, music and of course in this specific case, films. We are trying to return the notion that the culture of Palestine is rich and will not be forgotten about
So now you are organising the film festival, which is something we’ve actually discussed for a while, how long has this been in the works for?
Well we wanted to do something big, which has taken quite a lot of preparation, especially given that all of us members have full time jobs we are doing this around. We really took a look at a variety of other film festivals focused on Palestine, in places such as Leeds and Bristol, to get an idea of how to approach it. For us it is a way of easily connecting people from Nottingham with Palestinian culture, but also there are so many Palestinian artists whose work we wanted to showcase and bring to audiences. This has really been an idea that has been cooking in our collective minds for over a year now. We are returning to the Contemporary and some of the staff have taken an active part in helping us organise the event as well.
What was the driving force behind doing a film festival?
A lot of it stems from how one of the main weapons colonial occupations use against the oppressed people is dehumanisation, which sees them trying to present the people they are attacking as barbarians or savages. This is mainly done to then justify or at least excuse the crimes they are committing against said groups. Showing art and culture from these oppressed groups helps combat these racist narratives that are overwhelmingly present in Western media. Another reason is that one of the main components of a genocide is the annihilation of culture. In Gaza, not only are hospitals and homes targets of bombing campaigns, but universities, libraries and historical olive trees are being destroyed. Not only is there a physical extermination, but there is also a cultural one going on in Palestine at the moment too.
So part of it is about preserving Palestinian culture so no matter how much Israel tries to destroy it, it persists?
Exactly. Not only are we flesh and bone, but we carry landscapes, smells, foods, dancing, music and of course in this specific case, films. We are trying to return the notion that the culture of Palestine is rich and will not be forgotten about.
It’s really great to have a space where people in Nottingham can go and watch a variety of Palestinian films, something which seems to happen very infrequently. Yes it often feels like a struggle to access these films, which you feel like should be screened far more given everything that is going on currently.
Many places are refusing to screen films about Palestine or actively making it difficult to do it. We have seen this in Bristol where the Palestine film festival at The Arnolfini was controversially cancelled out of the blue, although after campaigning, it has returned to the venue.
Yes this has been happening all across Europe, there have been awards, book presentations, musical acts, everything, cancelled due to artists’ collective support for the Palestinian people against the genocide.
What are the films you are screening?
Given that it is our first film festival, albeit hopefully not our last, we decided to go for films that are slightly older but still entirely relevant. We have broken them down into three different themes. The first one is about resilience and acts of freedom, which we will screen two short films: Walls Cannot Keep Us From Flying (2019) and One More Jump (2019), these are about how Palestinians use skating and parkour as a way of maintaining their personal freedom. Life in Palestine serves as the second theme and for that we are screening a film called Wajib (2017); the purpose of this film is to dispel the myth that life in the West Bank is free from Israeli terror, highlighting the harassment and cruelty perpetuated through things like constant checkpoints and surveillance. Finally, the third theme is exile, and that will see a screening of It Must be Heaven (2019), which is directed by a Palestinian born in a refugee camp outside of their homeland.
Are there other events happening around the films?
Yes we are going to have group discussions led by members of the local Palestinian community between each film, this will hopefully allow for people to learn more about the films they watch, and they can then take that information into the screenings throughout the day. There will also be lovely vegan Syrian food provided at lunch time. All the profits from the festival are going to two amazing groups The Freedom Theatre in Jenin and Defence For Children International
Any plans or ideas for the future of the festival?
We are hoping to grow the festival and make it longer, over multiple days. Also we would like to screen brand new films from artists currently working across Palestine. Being able to invite directors over, or have them introduce their films would be amazing as well. There is a lot to expand on in the future certainly.
The Palestine Film Festival takes place at the Nottingham Contemporary on Sunday 2 February.
Q @NottinghamPalestineSolidarityCampaign
Girls and Boys
interview: Ian C Douglas photo: Bertie Watson
Nottingham’s own Aisling Loftus comes to Nottingham Playhouse with one-woman play Girls and Boys, an award-winning depiction of how love can go badly wrong. She shares her journey with LeftLion
What attracted you to Girls and Boys?
I couldn't really believe it when it came into my email inbox, because I knew of the play. I remember when it was on. It was directed by Lyndsey Turner, who I've worked with a few times, and who I think is incredible, and she's got really good taste. I was so excited to read it. And when I read it I thought, how could I not take the opportunity? It was a very easy, in big capital letters, YES.
What do you think the play says about relationships today?
They say history doesn't repeat itself, it rhymes. So, I think we have these ideas about culture, about society, about men and about women, like we keep having these conversations, but there's always more fat to chew on. The play doesn't offer any solutions, but it has a good rummage around in what it is to be human.
It's a one-woman 90-minute play. Is that not physically exhausting? How do you keep yourself going during the performance?
There are probably things that I'll need to have in my back pocket, but the writing is so good that it's like you're on a roller coaster. You get onto the ride, you're locked in and you don't want to be anywhere else. It just feels like such incredible good luck doing the play, that I don’t have any hesitation about it.
You've worked in radio, film, TV. How does theatre compare to those other mediums?
It's my favourite. If it were possible, I'd always be doing theatre. The relationship with the audience is incredible. This very immediate relationship. We're all in agreement with each other that we're going to share this space and these ideas. We're all locked in this place, a bit outside of reality. And what's happening is actually happening in front of you. This play is incredibly powerful in that respect. In this journey that the woman and the audience go on together, it's a very intense relationship between them. I absolutely love it. It’s something that can't be affected by AI, there are lots of things that will be, but not this. Not theatre as an experience.
So, as an old girl of the Television Workshop, did that help your career? What was the most important thing you learned there?
I wouldn't have a career at all if I hadn't gone there. It was just incredible good luck to be born in Nottingham, to go to the Workshop. I had incredible teaching from Ian Smith and Alison Rashley.
I'd say, the biggest thing was connecting to the truth. Yes, it was make believe, but it wasn't pretending. You had to really mean it. I remember from the first play that I did with Alison. There was a scene in the play where one of the kids has gone missing and my character is really upset about it. So, I go off stage, whip myself up into crying, and I come on stage crying, as the character was, and the kids were like, Alison, she's crying. And Alison said, she's being Jenny, the character.
I remember thinking, ‘Whoa, that's it, isn't it? I'm not sad, Jenny's sad.’ How cool is that? I can feel this kind of emotion. Make believe in earnest. The stakes were satisfyingly high in these games we were playing.
What advice would you give anyone wanting to break into acting today? Especially if they have no Television Workshop? It's hard to know, because that's the way that I came up. I would say that you need to be a student of what you want to do. Watch lots of things. Think about, what did I like about that? What worked for me? What appealed to me? And be part of the short film community, because there's a lot of brilliant people at the start of their careers in the short film community. You can do some really great work and learn an awful lot.
I'd say that there isn't one route, but I sometimes wish I had gone to drama school. There's a huge amount that I wish I had in my back pocket that I'd pretty much gathered on the job. You get to work with brilliant people. I had a session yesterday with voice coach Joel Trill, and he's bloody amazing. And I was like, oh my god, is this what everyone else just knows? Sometimes I think, gosh, I wish I had that kind of education. I think, if you're really passionate about it, the truth is that you'll find a way.
If it were possible, I'd always be doing theatre. The relationship with the audience is incredible
You've performed at the Playhouse before. Is this like a homecoming?
I feel very privileged to do this at the Playhouse, because there's a lot of really great Notts actresses as well. There's a lot of brilliant people that have come through Nottingham. So to be someone that gets to do this is very cool. I think what Adam Penford is doing with the Playhouse is really exciting. The thing that jumps out to me is the play Punch. He's really reinvigorated the theatre scene in Notts. It makes me think back to when I was a kid when it felt like you had to go to London to see things. Not anymore. I think Adam's part of that movement.
Obviously the pressure's on, because there's more people that I know coming to see it. And also people that are part of the Notts creative scene, and I want to be worthy of their time. And for all of the audience that comes, obviously, you want it to be special, because it's a special play. So, yes, the pressure's on!
Girls and Boys runs at the Nottingham Playhouse from February 8 to March 1 2025. Tickets are available from the Nottingham Playhouse website
words: Charlotte Pimm-Smith
Beeston’s Banana Bandit
Beeston has featured on national news this month, and rightfully so, considering the town’s unusual and unexplained ode to the banana. The mystery of the Banana Bandit was brought to the public eye by various news outlets, including the BBC and The Guardian, who reported that a plate of 16-20 peeled bananas has been left on the same street corner on the second day of each month, for over a year. Residents have expressed mixed views, the tradition while amusing to some, has been less a-peeling to others.
War Room Re-vamp
The Nottingham War Rooms, a bunker built in Beechdale in the 1950s, is the last remaining site of its kind and a legacy from the Cold War. Nottingham City Council have finalised plans to turn this decommissioned compound into an affordable housing complex, fit with health and leisure facilities, a food outlet, and 104 units for rent or sale by shared-ownership. Despite changes to the war-time structure, its historical context will be acknowledged, namely the BBC broadcasting studio which will be refurbished and protected as a heritage site.
Community Clean-up
Eighty-year-old Bill Robinson has been making waves in St Ann’s with his commitment to community clean-up. For over a year, the retired resident has taken his wheelbarrow and shears to the corner of Wells Road to clear debris and cut back branches from the public walkway. 27 year-old Dominic Talbot has since joined Bill in his gardening efforts, admiring his endeavours to help his community without want for recognition or recompense.
Can you guess the answer to this Notts themed riddle?
My first is not general
It’s no minor play
My second’s just fine Without an AY.
I’m knobbly and old,
My middle has girth, With my arms held high
And my feet in the earth.
TRUTH
THE CASE OF The Wheelbarrow Song
When you think about it, football chants are something like an art form. Composed, repeated and passed down like a demeaning, slightly surreal and sometimes kind of vulgar poem, they manifest as throwaway gags based on a hymn or 80s bangers, often accusing the away team of nefarious deeds, or just as a tune iconic enough to stick in the minds of fans for years afterwards. With each chant is a reminder of the values, experiences and good times that they associate with supporting their local team.
Our beloved Notts County FC, the oldest professional football club in the world, sport one of the best examples of the latter kind of chant, and as you might expect, the origins of this tune have been disputed in the past.
Known as The Wheelbarrow Song, the kind of ditty that generally, you’ll only know of and truly understand if you are an ardent fan of the club. It’s pretty easy to remember:
I had a wheelbarrow, the wheel fell off (times four) County…County…County!
One theory put forward is that a groundsman at half time one day brought a wheelbarrow onto the pitch, and lost a wheel. Another is that Neil Warnock, former manager of the club, did an interview with local press, and was quoted as saying “When I first came to Notts county all I had was a wheelbarrow… and the wheel fell off that.”
Nowadays, however, the most widely accepted story goes back to an April 1990 game between Notts County and Shrewsbury Town at Gay Meadow, Shropshire. Hearing Shrewsbury fans belt out On Top of Old Smokey in a Shropshire accent, Notts County Fans misheard it as ‘I had a wheelbarrow, the wheel fell off’. Down 2- 0 at the time, this apparently silly song had the magic effect of turning the game around to a Notts County victory, so has endured to this day as a good luck charm, of sorts.
The Magpies have undergone their fair share of successes, hurdles and weird and wonderful twists-in-the-tale over more than a century in the business. From never managing to win the first division in their epically long history, to making their age old home at Meadow Lane, they’ve been a fixture of life in the city for even passing football fans. The song represents and characterises this quirky history, reminding each Notts County fan that you keep pushing forward however many wheels you might lose.
words: Caradoc Gayer
best oF tHe montH
Strictly Come Dancing Live UK Tour
When: Tues 4 - Thurs 6
February
Where: Motorpoint Arena
How much: From £53.95
If you’ve been missing the glitz and glamour of the dance extravaganza that graces UK screens in the lead-up to Christmas, you’re in for a treat this month, as seven couples from the 2024 cast plus the four iconic judges and other pro dancers are bringing the show to Motorpoint. It’ll definitely be the most spectacular of occasions, promising dance, live music and lots more fun filled entertainment.
Nottinghamshire Festival of Science & Curiosity
When: Mon 10 - Fri 21 February
Where: Various
How Much: Free to £10
Produced by local education charity Ignite! The Nottinghamshire Festival of Science and Curiosity will see various art and design performances, exhibitions and workshops take place across the city and beyond, from Planetariums at Lakeside Arts, to mental-health themed art at Triumph Road, to a Science Fun Day for young ones at Southwell Minster. There will be plenty of guaranteed fun and enriching activities to occupy families and people of all ages.
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
When: Wed 5 - Sat 17 February
Where: Theatre Royal
How much: From £25
Enjoy the legendary Andrew Lloyd Webber tunes like Any Dream Will Do in this multi award-winning show, plus an impressive cast, including X-Factor winner Joe McElderry and decorated theatre actor Adam Filipe. If you fancy immersing yourself in some legendary show tunes and a classic story, head down to see one of the world’s most beloved family musicals.
Craig David
When: Wed 12 February
Where: Motorpoint Arena
How much: From £54.93
If we may let us fill you in on Craig David, icon of the UK music scene, and his to the Motorpoint Arena... Delivering his brand new Commitment Tour. With support coming from special guest Lemar - it’ll be a great chance to enjoy one of the country’s most loved artists at the peak of his powers, taking you on a trip straight back in time to the UK Garage-tinged 90s. You’re sure to be walking away from this gig with a smile.
Girls and Boys
When: Sat 8 February - Sat 1 March
Where: Nottingham Playhouse
How Much: From £10
Featured in this issue, Nottsborn Aisling Loftus stars this month in Girls and Boys, a lauded one woman play written by Dennis Kelly exploring the foundations of a fragile marriage. Directed by Anna Ledwich, this production blends dark comedy with examinations of human nature. Aisling is a decorated actor well up to the challenge: trained at the Nottingham Television Workshop, she’s best known for her roles in the BBC’s War and Peace and Sherwood
Curtains
When: Tues 18 - Sat 22 February
Where: Squire Performing Arts Centre
How much: From £16
Enjoy a show by award-winning songwriter duo Kander and Ebb that delivers sublime musical numbers and orchestration, fantastic dancing and joyful comedy! Set in a theatre in Boston USA, the story centres around Lieutenant Frank Cioffi, a musical theatre fan tasked with solving murders within a fictional 1950s show ‘Robbin Hood’. The audience is invited to unravel clues, while the music parodies the golden age of musicals with an inventive and jazzy score that helps to tell the story.
Standing in this Place, Celebration
When: Sun 9 February
Where: Nottingham Green Heart Park
How Much: Free
February sees the unveiling of Standing in this Place, a sculpture created by artist Rachel Carter, depicting a 19th century Midlands lace worker and an enslaved black woman from the Americas. Set to be erected at the new Green Heart park near the Broadmarsh site, in advance of the unveiling, there will be a celebration at Green Heart and Notts Central Library, featuring refreshments, speeches by local figures, African drumming and a performance by the Greenwood Clog Dancers.
Macbeth
When: Wed 19 February - Sat 1 March
Where: Various
How Much: £15+
Nottingham Shakespeare Company has flown the Bard’s flag around here since 2018. They’re ending the winter season with an eleven date East Midlands tour of the play you shouldn’t name, directed by Michelle-Louise Wright and starring Jack Dillon and Emma Webber as Lord and Lady Macbeth. Expect a modern twist with mild BDSM undertones. Look out for performances at Beeston Parish Church, St Johns (Carrington), St Peter’s School (Ruddington), St Peters (City), St Giles (West Bridgford) and St Nicholas (City), among others.
best oF tHe montH
The Sooty Show Live
When: Thursday 20 Feb
Where: Nottingham Arts Theatre
How Much: From £13.50
Considered a national treasure in children’s television, The Sooty Show brings a magical, laugh-out-loud performance that's perfect for all ages. Join Sooty, Sweep, and Soo with presenter George Akid, and support from children’s entertainer, puppeteer and magician Jimbo's Magic Show. There will be two matinee shows on the day, with family discount tickets available.
The Shark is Broken
When: Wed 26 Feb - Sat 1 March
Where: Theatre Royal and Concert Hall
How Much: From £18 to £45.50
One of the UK’s most unique, comedic stage plays will be making waves this month in Nottingham. Taking audiences back to 1974, it explores the hilarity, drama and choppy waters that occurred during the making of Jaws; depicting the tumultuous relationship between the three lead actors: Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss and Roy Scheider. Nominated for an Olivier award and hailed as ‘pure genius’ by the Sunday Express, this fresh new play definitely promises a memorable night at the theatre.
The Lovers exhibition
When: Sat 22 February - Sat
3 May
Where: New Art Exchange
How Much: Free
The Lovers is a photography exhibition depicting two bodies of work created forty years apart by artists Gupta and Singh, both a couple. The collections depict LGBTQ+ couples in their homes, from the 80s, a time informed by activism and HIV/ AIDS awareness, to the current day, intended as a reminder of the ongoing struggles that these communities face. Head down to the exhibition launch event on February 21, and look out for talks by the artists..
Berlioz
When: Thurs 27 February
Where: Rock City
How much: £30.25
This month Jazz collides with House music over at Talbot Street as acclaimed DJproducer Berlioz visits Rock City. Inspired by visual art, known for his unique way of sampling historical people in his tunes, and sporting a massive streaming audience, Berlioz is a truly unique force in the world of dance music. Fancy learning what would happen ‘if Matisse made house music’? Head along to see for yourself….
Film Course: Trans Representation on Screen
When: Sun 23 February
Where: Broadway Cinema
How Much: £15
One highlight from Broadway Cinema’s exciting lineup of 2025 courses on cinematic culture and history is facilitated by our very own Screen Co-editor Autumn Parker. Spanning genres like European art house and horror, while covering wellknown works including I Saw the TV Glow and The Danish Girl, Autumn will take attendees on a compelling journey through the complex history of this subject, while interrogating how films influence contemporary ideas on gender.
Mariposa
When: Fri 28 February
Where: Mansfield Palace
Theatre
How Much: £10 (use code ‘LeftLion’ for discounted tickets)
An operatic dance drama that transports Puccini’s Madame Butterfly to post-revolution Cuba. Under the flickering neon lights of a distant Caribbean port, a local rent boy and a foreign sailor fall ominously in love as the young man is asked to sacrifice his gender in exchange for love and a better life. Engulfed in a tropical storm of repressed desires, this production is a passionate and deeply moving exploration of what we are ready to sacrifice in order to be loved and accepted.
Fionn Regan
When: Tues 25 February
Where: Metronome
How Much: £22
Ireland’s Mercury Prizeshortlisted folk artist Fionn Regan plays Metronome this month. The show closely follows the release of his latest single Islands, which introduces the dreamy yet immediate atmosphere of his upcoming seventh studio album. Wellknown for his interweaving of ambient-electronic textures and Nick Drakean folk, plus the use of his music in TV shows like Normal People and This is England ‘86, Fionn’s one of the most respected, and arguably unmissable, folk artists around.
Light Night
When: Fri 28 February & Sat
1 March
Where: Across the city centre
How much: Free
One of the city's favourite events is back for its 17th year. Wander the city centre and get lost in 35+ light-based installations, activities and performances. Organised and funded by It’s In Nottingham, Nottingham City Council and Arts Council England. This is the rare kind of DIY, cultural occasion that will stick in your mind for days after, with exhibits at the Castle, Central Library, Greens Windmill, NTU, Nottingham College, Trinity Square, Market Square (see p16), St Mary’s Church and everywhere in between.
