painting: Smallkid
Free Fitness in Notts
Let’s all be open, honest and frank. We’ve completely fallen by the wayside when it comes to keeping our ‘get fit, eat right’ resolution. The piles of pizza boxes next to your bin are a tell-tale sign that the pledge to eat organic never really began. Have no fear, because our loverly council are lending us a helping hand to burn off the calories we’re still harbouring from Christmas. They’re offering us eight weeks worth of free sport at several health and leisure centres across the city, with a whole host of drop-in sports classes available. Right on. What’s even better, is that you can begin your eight week fitness bought at any point in the year. All you have to do is register online, and await your new, slimline bod.
From Monday 18 January, free, £2/£3 to non-city residents, fitness centres in the city
Glitch
Graffiti in Notts has reached an almost elevated status. Wall owners all over the city are beggin’ for the hottest taggers in the city to brand their wall with their unique style. Us included. Perhaps the kingpin of the Nottingham street art scene, Smallkid - aka Kid30, aka Nathan Bainbridge - has been daubing for the past fifteen years. This week he’s popping over to the National Videogame Arcade to fill us in on his perspective of the world of street art for one of their bi-monthly Glitch sessions. Glitch aims to present a new perspective on work, life and creativity as well as all that comes in between, to bring together the brightest minds in Notts. And we know for sure that you lot fit into that category. We’ll see you there.
Wednesday 20 January, 6.30pm, NVA
Drinkin' and drawin', drawin' and drinkin'...
Drink & Draw Social
If craft is your thing in every sense of the word – and by that, we mean ales and doodles – then boy oh boy have Rough Trade done good by you. Their third Drink and Draw social is taking place this month, where illustrators, sketchers and those who just got bought a set of crayons for Christmas are invited to pop down for a pint and a good old drawing session. It’s the perfect way to meet people with the same interests as you (namely, getting plastered while creating a masterpiece), and apart from the alcohol, it won’t cost you a penny. This month, they’re exploring the endless possibilities that arise when we say, ‘still life’, so if pots of fruit and veg are right up your road, then the event just got better.
Wednesday 20 January, 8pm, free, Rough Trade
PubhD #23: Forensic Entomology, History, Mathematics
Impress your mates down the pub next week with what you’ve learnt down the pub this week. And have a few school night pints while you’re at it. This week’s PubhD sees three PhD students take the floor, to explain the basis of their doctorates to you, all in layman’s terms. Andrew Chick will be talking Forensic Entomology, and discussing the effect that smoking has on decomposition. Helen Drew, who studied History at NTU will fill us in on her research of occurences of social misconduct presented to the Archdeaconry Court of Nottingham between 1580 and 1640, and looking at the attitudes held by the community towards social offences committed within their parish. University of Nottingham student Sam Morley studies maths and is trying to understand the properties of Banach algebras. Aren’t we all, Sam.
Wednesday 20 January, 7.30pm, free, Vat & Fiddle
The baddest blues night in town...
Bourbon and Blues: Royston Duxford + The Joker and the Thief
There ain’t no better place to get your blues fixed than I’m Not From London! and the Orange Tree’s ultimate string-pickin’, whiskey drinkin’, Thursday night Bourbon and Blues sessions. This week the legend that is Royston Duxford’s illegitimate grandchildren are visiting Notts to play their dirty, country rock and roll to the folks of Hoodtown. If you want to find out more about their backstory, you have to pop over to the Bourbon and Blues facebook page. It’s absolutely incredible. Also about to entertain the eardrums are The Joker and the Thief, combining covers of well-loved country, rock and blues songs with their own material. Happy hour starts at 8pm, and you can bag yourself two for one cocktails to get the party started.
Thursday 21 January, 8.30pm, free, Orange Tree
Deeper Than Roots
If you like a bit of reggae in your life, listen up. Atop Mansfield Road, the musical haven that is The Maze is gonna be jam packed with everything from dancehall, to jungle, to dub, and beyond. That’s because a few local chaps have started up a record label bringing all those ingredients together to cook up a right skank, utilising the talents of Nottingham and beyond. For Friday, they’ve managed to bag Glaswegian dub and dancehall lady Soom T – you know, the Mungo’s HiFi vocalist… Yeah, but did you really know?.. Also attending is Danny T & Tradesman, Riddimtion, Maxi Dread and our very own Origin One and Percydread. Upstairs is a Plates Jungle Takeover with appearances from Rubberdub, Kidlib & Percussive P, and Omen Breaks. Get stuck in.
Friday 22 January, 10pm, 7pm, The Maze
Charity Catwalk
Whack on your best stone-face and kit yourself out in your glammest get up, cos the world of bespoke fashion is coming to Notts. All in aid of charity, of course. Raising money for Maggie’s Cancer Centre, a whole bunch of local designers will be showcasing their work in a live catwalk, with both women’s and men’s clothing taking to the runway. Designer’s include OneBC, Salt&Co, Bantum clothing and Mimm, and there’ll be a whole load of live music from gypsy folksters Maniere des Bohemiens for you to enjoy afterwards. Not only that, but you’ll be able to get your hands on some top dollar designer gear. It’s win win for everyone, really.
Friday 22 January, 6pm, £3.50/£5, NTU Newton Building
Look at our lil' Tom go...
Tom McCartney Single Launch
The kid that’s bringing bluesy rock and roll back to the youtdem will be celebrating the launch of his brand new single, Kicked Outta Town, and he wanted us to let you know that you’re all invited. His husky, mature-beyond-his-years vocals will be soaring through the plywood setting of Rough Trade this weekend, with support from Louis Antoniou and The Blue Jay Ways and Stacey McMullen. As is usually the case with Rough Trade gigs, entry is free, but you should probably dig deep and buy a copy of our Tom’s single so that you can say you had a hand in supporting a future star of the Nottingham music scene.
Saturday 23 January, 8pm, free, Rough Trade
Hyson Green Flats: Exhibition
The Hyson Green flats that stood where Asda is now between 1965 and 1988 were social housing plagued with architectural and social problems, but the community that resided in them were just that at times, a community. The latest exhibition at New Art Exchange looks at a citizen-led project that emerged in the seventies, the Hyson Green Workshops. The group that led the project fought to transform the garages beneath the flats into spaces for cultural expression, community activity and economic growth. Designer Bahbak Hashemi-Nezhad explores this using archival materials, oral history and artefacts and the gallery will host a programme of community-led workshops on Wednesday evenings, as well as a panel discussion on the social role of citizen design activism. We love a bit of local history, especially when it comes with stuff we can get stuck in to. See you there.
Launch event, Saturday 23 January, 12pm. Exhibition and related events run until Sunday 20 March, free, New Art Exchange
Lipstick and Lace
For those of you who don’t know a single thing about your beloved city’s history, we used to be the top dogs – back in the day – of the lace industry. Also, a bloke called Jesse Boot set up a little company called Boots. We're not so hot on the lace scene anymore, but Boots are celebrating eighty years of their in-house beauty brand, No.7. As part of the exhibition to celebrate this, Debbie Bryan is bringing lace right up to date and giving you the opportunity to create your own cosmetics bag, using images from the No.7 archive collection and a collection of lace, threads and cloths – all provided by our Debs. Not only that, but you’ll be able to get yourself a deliciously devilish afternoon tea. If your Saturday is looking devoid of creativity, get this in the diary.
Saturday 23 January, 2pm, Djangoly Theatre
For the motherload of everything else going on this week check out our comprehensive Nottingham events listings.
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