11 Things To Do in Nottingham This Week

Our cover artist for issue 84, Knobbler, has curated an exhibition of work from local artists. But this ain’t your ordinary ogle-fest. All the artists were rejected from the Castle Open 2016, so they’ve come together in retaliation and conquest. You can expect to see work from the likes of Hannah Whitlow, Pauline Woolley, Andy McEwan, Connor Brazier, and loads more. Yep, they’re flaunting their creative wares like nobody’s business. The exhibition is running until Friday 20 January, and this Wednesday at 8pm there’s a chance to catch the informal discussion Am I An Artist Yet? which will explore the notions of rejection, artistic support, and Nottingham’s Creative Quarter. All this, chaired by Backlit Gallery’s Matthew Chesney. Don’t miss out, our kid.
Runs until Friday 20 January, free, King Billy, Manvers Street. Event link

They reckon that, of the 7,000 spoken languages in the world today, almost half are in danger of becoming extinct. And unfortunately, it ain’t just language. Yuan-Hsiung Wang and Xue Qian have been travelling all over South West China, discovering traditional artisans whose crafts are rapidly disappearing in the contemporary world, while documenting their lives and their work. With photography and oral histories in tow, you can expect to be opened up to the fascinating worlds of specialists in tea, wine and paper making, as well as pottery, wood carving and metal beating. All this, ahead of Chinese New Year celebrations at the end of the month.
Monday 9 January – Sunday 12 February, free, Wallner Gallery. Event link

Are them fag needs proving a bit too much for you this January? Fear not – holistic therapy institute Tiger Boe is hosting a two-day whammy of a stop-smoking course, where attendees can learn how to use acupressure on themselves to curb cravings. It’s fifty quid all in, with loads of different therapies and methods included. You’ll get two group hypnotherapy sessions, two acupuncture sessions, two auricular acupuncture sessions, four hours of theory, plus a hypnotherapy recording to take away with you. Worth a craic when it might put a stop to them cravings once and for all. That’s new year, resolutioned.
Tuesday 10 – Wednesday 11 January, 6pm, £50, Tiger Boe Institute. Event link

Back in 2013, a man called James McCormick was jailed for ten years after selling over 7,000 fake bomb-detecting devices to various countries, including Iraq. He set up the company ADE-651 so him and his mates could flog them all over the world, but they didn’t work at all. An estimated 2,000 people in Baghdad lost their lives because of this oversight, so Meirion Jones is coming to Canalhouse on Tuesday to explain to us lot how the hell this managed to happen. The BBC producer and investigative journalist exposed Jimmy Savile, has reported on toxic waste dumping by Trafigura in Africa, the fixing of the 2000 US election, Britain’s hand in Israel obtaining the atom bomb, the affair of undercover copper Mark Stone, and loads more. This particular talk will explore the exposure of the bogus bomb detector scandal, including the multi-million dollar bribes and the turning of blind eyes. Plus, Meirion will demonstrate how you can make the detector yourself for less than a quid. All this, hosted by Nottingham Skeptics in the Pub.
Tuesday 10 January, 7pm, free, Canalhouse. Event link

Every month, the wordsmiths of the city gather underground to spout their syllables. Head down to the caves beneath the Malt Cross this Wednesday to catch January’s Crosswords headliner, as well as a ton of open mic’ers spitting their truths. Poet, musician and actor Hazel Monaghan is the one to watch this week, with her beautifully brutal bombardments of lyrics that’ll have you swooning in rhythms and explorations. She asks the questions: “How do we create conversation between people, places and languages? Can we live in the wilderness between the contrary parts of ourselves? How do we stay wild, and revel in imbalance?” Get down and find the answers with the woman herself. If you want to bag a five-minute open mic slot, be sure to get down early – poetry, prose, storytelling, singing and monologues all welcome, with the wonderful local bard Leanne Moden hosting the lot.
Wednesday 11 January, 7.30pm, £2, Malt Cross. Event link

Have you managed to see the panto down the Playhouse this month? There’s still chance, and this week you can catch the relaxed performance of Aladdin. Especially created for people with learning disabilities, the show will have reduced noise and elements of surprise, as well as increased lighting and no strict rules about moving around during the performance. The traditional story of Aladdin will be told in all its dazzling glory, with music and theatre combining for a proper panto. It’ll be a great way to watch the bogger, championing inclusion at the same time. Nice one, NP.
Friday 13 January, 1pm, £12 - £34.50, Nottingham Playhouse. Event link

This thought-provoking touring exhibition explores the way art is created today, concerning itself with current shifts of identities, social networks, collective memory, popular culture and history. Presenting works by British African diaspora artists in a way that removes fixed curational themes, the exhibition allows everything to be experienced more openly. In two brand new, featured commissions from Larry Achiampong and David Blandy, the work of political humanist Frantz Fanon is revealed as a means of the artists retracing their relationships to colonialism. There’s also work from Barby Asante, who’s been collaborating with young Nottingham adults to create an interactive online map, visualising local arts and culture knowledge. On top of all this, there are looks into the use of online gaming technology in art, plus painting, drawing, film, printmaking and bookbinding. The exhibition is running until March, and the launch party is this Friday at 6pm. Get yersen down duck.
Friday 13 January – Sunday 19 March, free, New Art Exchange. Event link

Alongside the Untitled exhibition is The Art of Black Hair. Running at New Art Exchange for the same length of time, the material for the exhibition was curated just before Christmas. The Hyson Green gallery hosted a celebratory event whereby local communities came together to share their experiences, memories and thoughts about hair. All this was recorded in photographic portraits and video documentation, now available to revel in. Think daily ritual, think personal journeys, think creativity, imagination and heritage. If you’d like to get down to the launch night (Friday 13 January, 6pm) make sure you book.
Friday 13 January – Sunday 19 March, free, New Art Exchange. Event link

Freak yersen aht good and proper this Friday 13^th by heading down to Batman’s gaff and letting that winter chill reach down to your bones on a proper spooky tour. Some people say Wollaton Hall is one of the most haunted buildings in Nottinghamshire – meaning on a scale of one to haunted, it is pretty bleddy haunted. The woman who holds the keys to Wollaton Hall, Kath George, is on hand to walk you around the building and let you in on the stories of unexplained happenings, sure to get yer teeth chattering. Don’t worry though, they’ve got a glass of plonk for afters to help calm you down. We'll not say boo to that.
Friday 13 January, 7.30pm, £15, Wollaton Hall. Event link

There’s no rest for the wicked, so all you cool cats need to get your arses down to Rough Trade on Friday night for a jive to end ‘em all. Expect electro swing, d’n’b, hip hop, garage, breakbeat, and loads more, all with a peppering of good owd swing music – of course, things are about to get crazy. The likes of Dutty Moonshine, Fizzy Gillespie, Mister Mayor, and Ekim will all be on hand to serve up treats via the decks, all for your vintage selves. Indeed, a thirties dress code is encouraged. Look sharp.
Friday 13 January, 8pm, free, Rough Trade. Event link

If you’re stuck for summat to do with the nippers this Saturday, pop down to Green’s Windmill where there’s a children’s bread baking session going on all day. You can just drop in and have a go, with the chance to use some of the award-winning flour from the ‘mill itsen. If that don’t tickle your pickle, you could head down on the Sunday to check out the Community Food Swap. The idea is simple – bring food along, and swap it with the other munch heads. Hosted by Home Grown Exchange, the swap is a great chance to try awesome edibles at the same time as making new mates. Give it a whirl, cockle.
Bread Baking, Saturday 14 January, 11am – 1pm, £3, Green’s Windmill. Event link
Community Food Swap, Sunday 15 January, 1pm, free, Green’s Windmill. Event link



For the full motherload of goings-on this week, check out our What's On section