10 Things To Do In Nottingham This Week

Aah, to meet with friends and ponder life’s eccentricities. To sit amongst loved ones and discuss the arts, history and the philosophy of life with a glass of wine in one hand and a book in the other. Too admire the craftsmanship of an antique candelabra with like minded individuals. Some of life’s luxuries. Treat yourself this week to an evening of exactly that, courtesy of the Dilettante Society. They, and all their creative dabbler mates, will be setting up shop at The Chameleon ready to welcome you with open arms and glasses upon glasses of red wine. How wonderful. You’re also invited to bring something intriguing, inspiring or strange along with you – be that a photograph, piece of art, some news or a peculiar friend. We know who we’re taking...
Monday 20 March, 7.30pm, free, The Chameleon, event link

If your kid spends most of their time in solitude, talking to shadows and making friends with the dust bunnies under the sofa, it’s time to get ‘em out there in the real world and help them make some friends. Literally. Make them. Lakeside Arts are hosting a day's worth of drop-in dinosaur making, so you can take your lonely sprog along and help ‘em craft a dinosaur pal out of paper and pipe cleaners. That way, at least they’ll have a physical being to talk to and they won’t look so strange when you take them on the weekly shop. Also, there’s bound to be other kids there who are in the same situation, and with any luck they’ll talk to each other and all your worries will be quelled. Fingers crossed.
Monday 20 March, 10am, free, Lakeside Arts, event link

Get warmed up for the Poetry Festival good and proper this week, with the old reliable that is Poetry is Dead good down at JamCafe. You can expect all the usual wordy goodness of the open mic – make sure you dob your name in the hat, beginners more than welcome – alongside some of the city’s best bards, in poetry sets that’ll have your fingers snapping and your gob mmmm’ing like nobody’s business. You can expect the renowned Hayley Green returning to the Notts stage after a brief hiatus, in all her earth-shatteringly surreal, literary glory. On top of our Green, you’ve got the rising star Milla Tebbs, the wonderful Anne Holloway, and a music act still to be confirmed, all hosted by Bridie Squires.
Tuesday 21 March, 7pm, £3, JamCafe, event link

What are the two best things that exist on this planet? Music and food, that’s what. Lucky for us lot, Gangsta Wraps have created an evening to end all evenings, with a fusion of all that is good and holy, plus a healthy dollop of punning atop the lot. Sold. The night will consist of a three-course meal, plus a performance from Jurassic 5’s Chali 2na alongside legendary DJ and golden-era specialist Krafty Kuts. So, if you want some positive, educational hip hop vibes, and a belly full of ‘Pharoahe Munch’, you’ve come to the right place. Just when you thought things couldn’t possibly get more interesting…
Tuesday 21 March, 7pm, £10 - £25, Southbank City

When was the last time you got the arts and crafts stuff out? This week you can take part in a three-hour workshop which, following on from International Women’s Day, celebrates all things women’s history, while giving participants the chance to take part in the creation of an awesome zine. Correctomundo – you’ll get the chance to write, draw and design content to go into a publication that’ll be printed and distributed at the end of the month. With a massive nod towards the alt press as part of women’s liberation, you’ll get to take a slice for yourself. The workshop is free, but do make sure you book as places are limited.
Thursday 23 March, 5pm, free, Nottingham Writers’ Studio, event link

There was an old man called Gin Gin Ginnigan, he had Gin all on his Ginnigan. Yeah yeah yeah, Ginny Ginnigan on the ones and twos. If you love gin as much as it’s clear we at the ‘Lion love gin, then boy oh boy has our girl Debbie Bryan got a treat or two up her sleeve for you. Get on down to her dead fancy Lace Market residence and sample five different types of gin with assorted tonics and garnishes. You’ll also be gifted a free gin cocktail on arrival, and can pair your gin delights with small plates and tapas for an extra fiver. Plus, it’s a club. Which means it happens more than once. Which means you can make new mates. Goodbye, drinking alone. We’re social butterflies now. All thanks to gin.
Thursday 23 March, 7pm, £25, Debbie Bryan Studios, event link

A movie without music is like a night without stars; and a good score helps to drive narrative, build tension, calm you the hell down after a big scene, and maybe give you that extra push towards having a bit of a cry. What better way to celebrate the sound of cinema than a five-day festival dedicated to music from and inspired by sci-fi films. You can help to create a score to the classic Méliès film, Le Voyage Dans la Lune at Broadway with the Nottingham Family Orchestra, get stuck into some galactically-inspired jazz from Deli at JamCafe, hear the epic space/math/fuzz rock of Three Body Trio and 8mm Orchestra at The Lofthouse, or settle back and listen to The Halle bring you classic pieces from all your favourite films from Star Wars to Rollerball. Catch Back to the Future on the big screen at Broadway on Saturday or, if you’re feeling a bit more old school, Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, which will have an introduction from a leading authority on film music and two of its scenes rescored by University of Nottingham students. If live scores are your thing, Jonathan Glazier’s surreal and beautiful film Under the Skin is getting the treatment from London Sinfonietta at the Royal Concert Hall. And, if you want to show off your impeccable taste in films and superior knowledge, there’s a post-festival sci-fi quiz at Broadway. All sounds rather good.
Friday 24 - Tuesday 28 March, various times, various locations, event link

We might be biased, but we reckon that Nottingham is pretty amazing when it comes to representing the ladies of the city. And part of whole scene that gives women a voice and a place to just be themselves is Fan Club, a zine and night who celebrate women in music. Another thing they’re celebrating is their second birthday, and we are ready with our party poppers. Doing it with style and panache - and, no doubt, mounds of glitter and sass - they have an eleven-hour celebration lined up with live sets from Kamikaze Girls, Yassassin, Dream Nails and Crumbs, plus cake, a silent disco and a dancefloor for you to shake your thing on. It’s a safe space policy and everyone’s welcome.
Saturday 25 March, 4pm - 3am, free, Rough Trade, event link

We don’t know about you lot, but when our various timelines and newsfeeds were ram-packed with videos and photographs from the world’s various carnivals, we felt sick with jealousy. Watching folk drinking rum out of brightly coloured cups, clothed in feathers and jewels in Trinidad, and seeing the endless masked parades and fancy garmz flock around the Piazza San Marco in Venice has left us sad and vulnerable. No fear, City Arts are gonna mend our broken hearts with a full day's worth of carnival inspired activities, including making our own headdresses and costume pieces, dressing up in carnival costumes and having a good old boogy to some Samba tunes. All we’ve gotta do is dob ‘em a tenner and bring our own packed lunch. That’s Saturday sorted, then.
Saturday 26 March, 10.30am, £5 child, £10 adult, City Arts, event link

Edi Johnston is a man whose punning game is one to be reckoned with. We clocked him up at The Maze in support of poetic, musical maestros Harry and Chris last month and he didn’t half get our giggles going. This week, he’s hosting a night in the same venue that aims to rally up everyone and anyone, of all ages, to have a grand evening of magic, beatboxing, poetry, music and comedy that’s sure to wow. Expect variety, in all its glory, and don’t be shy about bringing the kiddos along – it’s an early one, and they’ll be cracking jokes into next week after a look-in at our Edi.
Sunday 26 March, 6pm, £2/£4, The Maze, event link