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A new Queer club night arriving in Nottingham: The creation of 'Trancesexuals'

Former LeftLion Screen Editor Autumn Parker and local artist & DJ Chan Hyacinth have teamed up to create a dynamic multi-genre trans powered club night collective Trancesexuals. Trancesexuals is a warm and welcoming space to showcase talented trans DJs across the UK, with an emphasis on alluring visuals, authentic vibes and a dynamic range of unique sounds. Their nights take place at trans-inclusive spaces and often hold specific themes to match the transcendental music and mood of the night. We caught up with Chan and Autumn to get more details of their club night, how Trancesexuals affirms the trans community and how the collective initially came together...

Artist Hetain Patel on his new audio visual show and his early career spent in Notts

Hetain Patel is an English visual artist specialising in performance, sculpture, video and photography. Born and brought up in Bolton, his work is influenced by identity, his family's Indian heritage and mainstream Western pop culture. Hetain came to Nottingham in 2000 as a Fine Art student and spent more than a decade here before spreading his wings; exhibiting in Norway, India, Belgium and more. He’s back with his latest work as part of nottdance Festival 2025…

Gig review: The Rock Orchestra - The Arena of Fire - at Motorpoint Arena

Stereotypically, orchestras play classical music. The two go hand in hand. It’s a natural combination. However, one collective of musicians are trying, and succeeding, to prove this wrong. They are The Rock Orchestra, and they perform orchestral arrangements of hugely popular rock and metal songs to huge audiences globally, alongside three incredible main vocalists, some insanely good fire dancers, and huge, gothic-inspired stage pieces. The combination of all these elements makes them extremely popular amongst concert-goers, and they are truly a treat to watch and hear. We caught them at Motorpoint Arena for their Arena of Fire production, their biggest and boldest show yet...

Local racer Alicia Barrett talks her ongoing journey to international motorsport success

Motorsport is an expensive and male-dominated industry, usually only accessible for Cornelius and Clifford using their trust funds. However, 21-year-old Alicia Barrett from Southwell is looking to buck this trend. Despite her tender years, she’s more than a decade into her racing career, currently moving from kart racing to race cars, and looking for support to take it to the next level…

Gig review: The Boomtown Rats at the Royal Concert Hall

The Boomtown Rats demonstrated they are still very much a force to be reckoned with in today’s music scene with a powerful performance at Nottingham’s Royal Concert Hall - the opening date of the band's 50th birthday tour...

Ballet Black founder Cassa Pancho on growing an inclusive dance company and bringing it to Nottingham's Theatre Royal

Ballet Black was set up in 2001, in response to a lack of black and Asian dancers working in professional ballet across the UK. It has since emerged as a pivotal force in altering the landscape of British ballet. With a new show heading to Nottingham’s Theatre Royal this month, we put some questions to Ballet Black founder Cassa Pancho…

Gig review: Welly at The Bodega

Last week, Welly returned to The Bodega with more banging tunes, bigger moshpits and a sky full of bubbles. Walking out to the tune of The Macarena, Welly promises a night defined by character and charisma, with songs charged with social commentary to a soundtrack that inspired endless moshpits...

How the Sisterhood Collective is connecting women photographers in Nottingham

Meet the Sisterhood Collective — a volunteer-led network giving women and women-identifying photographers in Nottingham a space to connect, create, and be seen. Run by photographer and arts programmer Susana de Dios and Alecia Barnes, co-owner of Sneinton Market’s film camera shop and film lab LensFayre, the Collective has grown into a supportive hub where photographers can share their practice, sharpen their skills, and build confidence together.

Born out of a need to challenge the systemic barriers that women in photography still face, from limited access to funding and equipment, to a lack of exhibition opportunities and mentorship, the Sisterhood Collective blends monthly meet-ups with hands-on workshops, peer critique sessions, themed projects, informative talks, and more.

Ahead of their collaborative exhibition at Nottingham Central Library, on 6 November, Susana and Alecia spoke about what it means to create a safe and educational space for Nottingham’s women photographers…

Primary talks about their new open exhibition and visual arts in the Lenton and Radford community

Primary  has a lot going on. After years of renting, the multi-purpose arts organization bought their own building in 2020 (no mean feat in a sector that’s often chronically underfunded), and have since enjoyed an incredible period of growth, with investment from Arts Council England kicking off an upgrade project for their pretty beautiful Grade II listed former school building. This month Primary will host an exciting new open exhibition, so we decided to find out more about the building and its connection with the local community.

Theatre Review: Sealskin at Lakeside Arts

A spellbinding tale of selkies comes to Lakeside Arts... 

Gig review: Allo Darlin' at The Old Cold Store

A reunion of many, with the moon looking down on it all... LeftLion's Michael Prince found himself in awe and happiness as he witnessed the long-overdue return of indie-pop band Allo Darlin'...

Gig review: Goldie Lookin Chain at Metronome

In 2004 Goldie Lookin Chain burst onto the music scene with their top three single Guns Don’t Kill People Rappers Do, quickly followed by a top five album Greatest Hits. There had been nothing like them before, and it could be said that GLC did for rap what the Macc Lads did for Rock. The lyrics are funny, often explicit and satirise hip hop culture with a heavy emphasis of growing up and living in Wales, and specifically the town of Newport. While the group have not enjoyed the same chart success, they continue to regularly release albums and have a large and loyal following, many of whom turn up to gigs in dodgy shell suits and chunky gold chains. It is the live experience where GLC truly shine and tonight’s gig at Metronome was a sell out...

All singing, all dancing: Here's what's on in Nottingham 13 - 19 October

There's plenty to do this week in Nottingham, whether you're flexing your singing muscles, enjoying some immersive theatre, or participating in the yearly Reclaim the Night march. Here are our Picks of the Week.