There's more content than you would believe. Hopefully this will make finding it a bit easier...
Blondes Chat Ant & Dec, Going Viral and Their Time at the University of Nottingham
Mon 12 Sept 2022Following in the footsteps of London Grammar and Amber Run by forming at the University of Nottingham, Blondes have big shoes to fill. Yet with the immense success of their song Coming of Age on TikTok resulting in them signing to American label C3 Records, we reckon they don’t have anything to worry about. Here, Alex Davison and Daniel Stroud reminisce about their UoN days...
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Uni of Nottingham Graduate Hanna Flint Chats the Importance of Filmmaking, Representation in Cinema and Her New Book Strong Female Character
Wed 31 Aug 2022After graduating from the University of Nottingham, Hanna Flint has gone from strength-to-strength as a film journalist, working at publications like Empire, Time Out and The Guardian. Now we catch up with her about her debut book, Strong Female Character…
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NTU Graduate Chester Carr Shares His Experiences with Creating Spider-Man Concept Art and Directing His Own Movies
Fri 26 Aug 2022Since graduating from Nottingham Trent University back in 2014, concept artist Chester Carr has gone on to work on the likes of Spider-Man: Far From Home and Overlord, as well as directing his own short films - including Death of the Primate, a winner at this year’s Nottingham International Film Festival. Kieran Burt hears all about his artistic process, plans for the future and much more…
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We Sit Down With Ford & Guy Founder Suzanne Ford to Hear All About Her Eye-Catching Fashion Brand
Wed 24 Aug 2022Combining stunning silhouettes, sustainable fabric and eye-catching graphics, Nottingham fashion brand Ford & Guy may be relatively new on the scene, but they’re already proving to be ones to watch with their designs already being worn by some big names and top social media influencers with a huge following, such as Astrid Zeegen. We catch up with owner Suzanne (Suzie) Ford to find out more about her iconic designs…
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Retro Giants COW Nottingham Chat Y2K Looks, Cylical Fashion and the Importance of Sustainability
Mon 22 Aug 2022Looking around today, you may have spotted that many Y2K trends are going through a bit of a resurgence and, while it only seems like yesterday when these styles were first introduced, many of them have found their way back into the limelight. We catch up with Brooke Skelton, supervisor of retro giants COW Nottingham, to find out more about the cyclical nature of fashion and why, twenty years later, these trends are back and here to stay…
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We Visit Katharina Fitz’s Nottingham Studio and Learn All About Her Groundbreaking Work
Thu 18 Aug 2022We had the pleasure of visiting artist Katharina Fitz’s Nottingham art studio to speak to her about her motivations, ideas and art practice. Having already exhibited in Nottingham and across the globe, we can only wonder how the grinding, crunching cogs of her work will turn in the next ten years…
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Beans on Toast Dives Into His Upcoming Event at the Arboretum - the Foolhardy Folk Festival
Wed 17 Aug 2022Having risen to prominence in the British folk scene, James McAllister, otherwise known as Beans on Toast, is one of the most respected artists around - known for his lyricism centring around drugs, politics and love. But now the singer is taking on a role as event organiser of the Foolhardy Folk Festival, coming to Nottingham Arboretum in August. Before it gets going, we catch up with the singer about summer vibes, going back to simplicity, and his love for festivals…
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University of Nottingham Graduate Ayo Oyelola Chats American Football, Chasing Crazy Dreams and Joining the Jacksonville Jaguars
Mon 15 Aug 2022Nottingham and the NFL have hardly gone hand-in-hand over the years - but with the University of Nottingham graduate Ayo Oyelola recently joining the Jacksonville Jaguars, they do now. We catch up with the defensive back ahead of the 2022/23 season…
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We Chat to the Harlem Globetrotters’ Corey “Thunder” Law Ahead of the Group’s Visit to Motorpoint Arena
Wed 10 Aug 2022Corey “Thunder” Law - basketball superfan, Globetrotter, world record breaker - chats shooting hoops and entertaining an audience of thousand ahead of his visit to Nottingham in October...
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LeftLion Screen Podcast #6 - Jorden Myrie Interview; Thor: Love and Thunder Review and More
Fri 05 Aug 2022After a couple of months away from the microphones, Screen Editor Jamie Morris and Assistant Editor George White return for a new episode of the LeftLion Screen Podcast - much to the delight of the millions of superfans across the globe...
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We Sit Down With Nottingham’s Ben Norris and Cassie Bradley Ahead of Their Trip to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival
Thu 04 Aug 2022Two-time UK national poetry slam champion writer Ben Norris is taking his new show Autopilot to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August, starring Cassie Bradley. The two Nottingham born actors chat with us about the themes of the play and how it compares to other projects they've been involved with...
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Inside Art of Football’s Mission to Make the Beautiful Game a Source of Community, Identity and Celebration
Fri 22 Jul 2022Just a couple of avenues up from the LeftLion offices sits Art of Football, a Sneinton-based arts and fashion brand that centres around - you guessed it - football. They’ve seen their bucket hats on Ian Wright’s head, they’ve collaborated with Umbro, and they’re still only just getting started. We chat to Director Luke Cuthbert about immortalising people’s memories, the importance of community, and their plans for the future…
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We Sit Down With the Organisers of Nottinghamshire Pride 2022 to Discuss What People Can Expect
Fri 22 Jul 2022Craig Martin, co-chair of Nottinghamshire Pride, chats to us about the exciting plans for this year's celebrations...
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Meet the Nottingham Lions, the LGBT+ Football Club Aiming to Make the Sport a Safe Space for All
Thu 21 Jul 2022Founded over sixteen years ago, the Nottingham Lions have been trailblazers in our city’s sporting scene ever since - with the LGBT+ friendly football club bringing together people of all abilities and walks of life to enjoy the beautiful game. We sit down with Robbie Jacques, the club’s Social Media and Commercial Officer, to hear all about their story so far, and explore how the world of football can become a more inclusive, tolerant place…
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Notts Filmmaker Oliver Blair Lifts the Lid on His New Short Film The Tree
Sun 17 Jul 2022We chat to director Oliver Blair about how he walked a fine line between tragedy and comedy to depict grief in his witty, yet poignant, debut short film, The Tree, which follows two characters dealing with the loss of their father…
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Nottingham Author Georgina Wilding Lifts the Lid on Her New Book Hag Stone
Thu 14 Jul 2022Named Nottingham’s first young poet laureate in 2017, Georgina Wilding isn’t new to the poetry scene. But despite being involved in the art for over ten years, she’s only just released her first poetry collection - Hag Stone. Pulling childhood memories through a surrealist lens, the book, which muses on the grittiness and joys of growing up, has been met with great acclaim from authors including Henry Normal and Cathy Grindrod. We chat to Wilding about girlhood, being a working class poet and what her writing process is like…
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Nottingham Legend Richard Whitehead MBE Chats Titles, Targets, and Giving Back to the Community
Wed 13 Jul 2022Nottingham-based athlete and motivational speaker Richard Whitehead MBE has won an array of medals at the Paralympics, but his influential work goes beyond the track. We caught up with him about his greatest achievements and the importance of giving back to the community…
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We Chat to Rising Star Harleighblu About Her New Album, Hideout, and What the Future Has in Store for the Notts Artist
Tue 12 Jul 2022For quite some time now, neo soul queen Harleighblu has been making a name for herself across Nottingham, the UK, Europe and the US, with her iconic dreads, signature style and soulful vocals. Last month saw the launch of her new album Hideout, made in collaboration with American rapper, singer, producer and songwriter, Illa J. Fresh off the back of the album launch, her new video for one of the record’s tracks, Soulsearching, and the launch of her new Nottingham DJ night, Milkshake, we caught up with Harleighblu to find out more about her whirlwind year so far…
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Author Rosie Wilby on Queer the Shelves, Her New Book and Being Known as The Queen of Breakups
Mon 11 Jul 2022Last month saw Queer the Shelves, a two-day celebration of LGBTQ+ books and writers, take place at Waterstones in the city centre. Organised by local editing and publishing company, Global Wordsmiths, and funded by Arts Council England, the event saw over twenty international LGBTQ+ writers taking part in Q&A panels, readings and mingling with readers at an after party held at Nottingham’s oldest – and only – LGBTQ+ pub, the New Foresters. Some writers were well known, others on their first published work, with every genre covered. The keynote speaker was comedian and author Rosie Wilby, known for her stand up, podcast, and now two books on the theme of relationships. We caught up with her just as the busy weekend drew to a close...
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Nottingham Wrestler Joseph Conners Chats WWE, House of Pain Wrestling Academy, and Crafting a Career in Sport
Mon 11 Jul 2022Having come up through the House of Pain Wrestling Academy, Nottingham lad Joseph Conners has achieved what very few in the world of wrestling have. From performing for audiences around the world, wrestling for Next Generation Wrestling and, most impressively, WWE at their 2017 and 2018 UK Championship Tournaments, he’s come a long way since first stepping into the ring. We caught up with the wrestling legend to find out what’s next…
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LeftLion Screen Podcast #5 - The Road Dance Director Richie Adams, the Best Summer Blockbusters of 2022 and More
Fri 27 May 2022This month we're joined by Richie Adams, the man behind The Road Dance - one of the highlights of the Nottingham International Film Festival...
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Notts CrossFit Athlete and Coach Lucy Campbell Discusses Women in Strength Training and Putting Two Fingers Up to Stereotypes
Sat 21 May 2022Combining strength training, gymnastics and high intensity workouts, Nottingham’s CrossFit box has attracted quite a cult following. We caught up with CrossFit athlete and coach Lucy Campbell to talk about women in strength training, the camaraderie of group workouts and letting go of weight-loss goals…
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We Chat to David Gill, One of the Last Remaining Blacksmiths in Nottinghamshire
Sun 15 May 2022From forging the hammer of Thor, the Norse god of thunder himself, to creating the ploughs that drove the British Agricultural Revolution, blacksmiths have played a crucial role in human history for millenia. Yet now there are only around 600 left in the entirety of the UK. We chat to David Gill, one of the last remaining blacksmiths in Notts, about the importance of the practice, what drew him to his line of work, and why interest in the craft is on the rise…
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Nottingham Biographer Miranda Seymour on the Incredible Life of Jean Rhys
Tue 03 May 2022Born on the Caribbean Island of Dominica, Jean Rhys is most well known for her seminal novel Wide Sargasso Sea, the postcolonial feminist prequel to Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre.
A misunderstood and enigmatic woman, Rhys caught to attention of biographer Miranda Seymour who travelled to Dominica to learn more about her life. We catch up with Seymour in anticipation of her new book I Used To Live Here Once, The Haunted Life of Jean Rhys...
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Going Places: Sustrans’ Clare Maltby on Walking and Cycling-Friendly Cities
Wed 30 Mar 2022Since the pandemic hit, getting around on our own steam - whether that be through walking, cycling, scooting, or skating - has seen something of a renaissance. This goes hand-in-hand with an increased awareness of our human need for access to green space and the ongoing climate crisis. With infrastructure popping up to support this trend, and various schemes hoping to help communities get on their bikes, our Environment Editor Adam Pickering had a chat with Clare Maltby - the Nottingham-based Director for the Midlands and East region at leading active travel charity Sustrans - about the work the charity’s doing to make it easier for people to get around in environmentally friendly ways, creating healthier communities, and breaking the car habit.
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