Pick of the Week: 2 - 8 February

Dreaming in Code
Remember when you were a youth and yer mam used to drag you along to yer sister’s dance class so she could have an hour’s peace? You kicked up such a bloomin’ fuss cos “Muuum, dancing’s for girls!” Oh, how wrong you were, young one. Here to make you wish you’d paid attention to your plies and pas de chevals are the male dance company 2faced. With high-energy routines choreographed by Frantic Assembly masterminds Tasmin Fitzgerald and Eddie Kay, and music from Tony nominee Alex Baranowski, the company explore what the future might look like. Flippin’ fantastic. Literally.
Tuesday 3 February, 8pm, £12/£14/£16, Djanogly Theatre

No Manifesto 
Welsh punk heroes Manic Street Preachers tore up the music scene in the early nineties, despite their promise to create one album, sell sixteen million copies and chuck it all in. Broado are showing you how it all went down with the Elizabeth Marcus film, which takes an in-depth look at the ‘Preachers history and their creative processes. The film is narrated by their fans, and there’ll be music and interviews a plenty to give you a proper glimpse into the quirky characters that made up the band. You should stick around after too - there’s a Q&A session with the film’s director and producer, hosted by die-hard Manic fan and co-curator of Kneel Before Zod, Rich Dundas.
Tuesday 3 February, 6pm, £8, Broadway Cinema

Light Night
It’s that time of the year again when we can grab our glow sticks without shame or a rave to go to, and have a wander around town to find out what dazzling antics are going down. With a huge list of stuff to be cracking on with, check out the Nottingham City Council website for the complete breakdown. The city is going to shine bright with light installations and art exhibitions, as well as music, walks, talks, a right big wheel, and late night shopping throughout the Creative Quarter. Nottingham Castle’s grounds will be all aglow and its gallery will be open until late. Haiku Salut are also putting on their lamp show at Nottingham Contemporary, all for free. There are tons more activities in venues big and small throughout the city, so wrap up warm and go forth into the light.
Friday 6 February, 6pm, free, Nottingham City Centre

Expired Colours 
Tom Quigley’s last exhibition documented skateboarding in and around Nottingham over a two-year period, all in black and white. This year, he’s taken all the material he had from all the colour films around the same time, and he’s whacking it up in The Corner for all to see. With photos to induce cravings for colourful summer sun as well as ones to inject you into the belly of our city’s subways, the work casts an eye over the highs and lows of a skateboarder’s days cohesively. There will be many a free beer at the 6pm Friday launch, and possibly an impromptu skate jam afterwards. Grab yer deck and get it done.
Friday 6 - Sunday 8 February, 11am - 5pm, free, The Corner

Nightmares on Wax 
Mimm and Local Motive are continuing on their mission to grace Nottingham with the best artists this side of the turntable. This month, it’s the legendary Nightmares on Wax of Warp Records with his genre-less, sunshine-laden sounds. With an ear for reinvention, George Evelyn is best known for albums Smokers Delight and Carboot Soul which, although difficult to pigeonhole, are easy as hell to vibe to. Somewhere between trip hop, jazz, funk and electronica, his tunes play around with classic hooks, beats and ideas to create something impossible to resist moving your tootsies to. And we’ve got three hours of the stuff to lap up, all to celebrate 25 years of Nightmares on Wax music. Sweet. Support includes the monstrous Tusk, Aicha from Donuts Nottingham, and our very own Rick Donohue.
Friday 6 February, 9pm, £20, The Irish Centre

...And Stars Collide
Local four-piece guitar fetishists ...And Stars Collide are getting giggy with it in a comeback show at JT Soar. After generating international acclaim for their self-titled EP a few years back, the band have crafted music that well and truly goes against the grain of yer bog-standard rockers. With them playing such an intimate venue, it’d be best to get your tickets fast before they all sell out - they blew our socks off just a few years ago, and we’re sure we’re not the only ones anticipating their return. Support for the night comes in the form of All the Empires of the World - get going youth, and grab your own booze on the way.
Friday 6 February, 7.30pm, £2, JT Soar

Letters Remember 
Nottingham Writers’ Studio is bringing Light Night back to the old school by opening up their creative space for all to see. With talks and workshops surrounding the theme of letters and memories, there’s the chance to learn more about projects like New Art Exchange’s Uganda Stories, Nottingham Contemporary’s Letters to the City, as well as Dawn of the Unread, False Histories and The Letters Page. Guest speakers include some of Nottingham’s most prolific and interesting characters, like Andrew ‘Mulletproof’ Graves, Sunil Shah, White Dolemite, Jon McGregor, and James Walker, who’s dabbing in with some Ray Gosling archives. There’s no need to book, but best to get down early for insights into some of our city’s most interesting and creative projects.
Friday 6 February, 6pm, free, Nottingham Writers’ Studio

Playful Acts of Rebellion 
Fed up with whiling the days away with ineffectual moaning and inspired by those courageous souls who risk their lives to defend what they believe in, the local, all-woman theatre group The Gramophones are celebrating the individual fight in their newly-devised piece. Questioning what makes something worth fighting for, and how much an individual's plight can really affect things, the female foursome use the storytelling format to explore the nature of protest in both devastating and rewarding lights. Well worth switching up the usual trip to the pub for summat a bit more interesting on a Saturday evening.
Saturday 7 February, 7.30pm, £5/£8, Create Theatre, Mansfield

Letterpress Workshop 
If you’re sick of your laptop, the typewriter isn’t retro enough, and the good old-fashioned pen and paper just ain’t cutting it, try your hand at a 600-year-old technique - letterpressing. Favoured by artists and stalkers alike, create fliers, business cards and posters with your own hands. The session costs hit the double figures, but it's well worth it - all your materials are included, and the small group means you’ll have the tutor’s undivided attention. A great opportunity to get all arty, and you’re guaranteed to leave with a print you’re well chuffed with. Sorted.
Saturday 7 February, 10am, £40, Malt Cross

Eve Online Player Meet 
Whoever said video games were the entertainment for the lonely? The game that allows you to create and dominate your own universe, Eve, is the basis for a player meet-and-greet, complete with freebies and an online tournament so you can show off your mad skills to your new space-invading pals. They’re giving out a ton of free stuff - the first 100 people to arrive on the day will be presented with a swag bag full of gaming goodies, as well as a host of prizes for best game-play during the day. It’s expected to sell out quick, so get online and book some tickets.
Saturday 7 February, 11am, £10, Antenna

Wildlife Photography Masterclass 
As a resident animal boffin and snap-happy professional photographer, Jack Perks is on standby to escort Polaroid newbies and digital dab hands alike around the glorious grounds of Wollaton Hall. Deer grazing in their herds, waterfowl paddling on the lake, and a whole host of woodland birds are powdering their noses, ready for their close-ups. The set of Bambi is on our doorstep, so put it to good use - Perks will be training everyone to get the best possible angles to ensure you get the money shot, whether you’ve been snapping all yer life or you’ve just got a camera for Crimbo.
Sunday 8 February, 9am, £45, Wollaton Hall and Park

Transportation: Islands and Cities 
A load of wordy so-and-sos have been to the ends of the earth and back (literally) in order to rustle up some literary pleasures. To celebrate these penned pilgrimages in their printed glory, the short story scribblers are hitting up the latest place to hit Hockley’s streets – Rough Trade. Not only will you get to hear extracts from some fascinating travels, but Nottingham Writers’ Studio Project Director Pippa Hennessy is bringing some local poetry to the chipboard stage. Transport your bum down for a letter-laden Sunday afternoon in a proper trendy venue - grab a beer and a bagel, and let your mind wander the globe.
Sunday 8 February, 2pm, free, Rough Trade

For the motherload of everything else going on this week check out our comprehensive Nottingham events listings.

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