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Under Cover Artist: Ana Caspão

Wed 10 Aug 2022

When record temperatures put paid to our plans for a Great Gatsby-inspired cover shoot, we called on Ana Caspão to illustrate us all looking suave and sophisticated - and it’s safe to say she did not disappoint. We hear all about how she put together this proper swanky piece…

New Artistic Director and CEO of the New Art Exchange Saad Eddine Said Outlines His Plans for the Iconic Cultural Centre

Mon 08 Aug 2022

Formerly the Director of HOME Slough, Saad Eddine Said has built a career in the arts sector, having worked with many high-profile organisations and artists. He spoke to us about his aims within his new role as Artistic Director and CEO of the New Art Exchange in Nottingham…

After Being Named One of Screen International’s Stars of Tomorrow, The Television Workshop’s Jorden Myrie Discusses His Impressive Career So Far

Sat 06 Aug 2022

From hard-hitting dramas to genre-blending comedies, Jorden Myrie has already achieved an impressive amount since studying at The Television Workshop - but, after being named as one of Screen International’s Stars of Tomorrow, he’s only just getting started…

5 Fun Things to Do in Nottingham This Week: Cel Animation Workshop, Pots and Pints and More

Mon 01 Aug 2022

Whether you want to learn a new skill, soak in some tunes, or be all sophisticated and check out some art - Nottingham is your oyster this week (provided you have Thursday evening free)...

Inside Art of Football’s Mission to Make the Beautiful Game a Source of Community, Identity and Celebration

Fri 22 Jul 2022

Just 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…

We Dive Into Kendo, the Ancient Martial Art Dubbed ‘The Way of the Sword'

Sat 16 Jul 2022

Is there anything more impressive than sword fighting? We’ve seen it in films like The Last Samurai and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and tried our hand (more or less) in games like Elden Ring and The Witcher. Yet through kendo, the ancient practice dubbed “the way of the sword”, you can have the chance to do it for real. Despite its exhilarating premise on paper, though, it is the martial art’s values of respect, decency and self-improvement that are most important…

Review: The Television Workshop's Sin Short Film Festival

Wed 13 Jul 2022

The Television Workshop – once home to the likes of Vicky McClure and Jack O'Connell – shone a spotlight on their next generation with a short film festival centred around the seven deadly sins. We stopped by Broadway Cinema to check it out...

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 2022

For 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…

Nottingham Artist Victoria Hayward Discusses Pysanky, the Traditional Egg-Decorating Technique She's Using to Raise Money for Ukraine

Mon 11 Jul 2022

Victoria Hayward explains how she is using her artist residency at City Arts to decorate 100 eggs using a traditional Ukrainian batik dye technique, raising money for the Ukraine DEC appeal in the process

Under Cover Artist: Maxrock of Totally Brewed

Wed 29 Jun 2022

Creating edgy artwork for the Nottingham-based brewery Totally Brewed, Maxrock has always felt a pull toward the scary and dystopian. That’s why he seemed the perfect fit for our fear edition. Combining his love for beer with our theme, we couldn’t be happier with the outcome…

We Chat to Notts Artist Angelo Murphy About His Fascinating Oil Paintings and Winning an Amateur Jackson’s Prize

Wed 22 Jun 2022

Nottingham-based artist Angelo Murphy has a special way of capturing the mundane and making it beautiful. His still life pieces are reminiscent of Baroque paintings from the seventeenth century, only he’ll throw in a tin of golden syrup to remind us that this is, in fact, the 21st. The soft colours in his oil paints draw your eyes in, giving you a hazy sense of serenity, and his stunning piece Citrus with Blue Paper has just won the Amateur Jackson’s Painting Prize. We caught up with him to hear about his creative journey so far…

Under Cover Artist: Toby Anderton

Mon 30 May 2022

What do you call the man who created the gods themselves? Well, we call him Toby Anderton, and he’s here to let you know how he created our epic mythology cover…

Suspended Portals: Notts Graphic Artist Amy Lee Young's New Work Opens at Butter + Sugar

Tue 17 May 2022

Having opened to the public on Saturday 14 May, Suspended Portals is the new exhibition of mixed media artwork from Nottingham graphic artist, Amy Lee Young...

Notts Art Collective INSTAR Dig Into the Role Flora and Fauna Have Played in Our Collective Cultural Past

Tue 17 May 2022

From modern tales like The Princess and the Frog, through to ancient literature in the form of The Epic of Gilgamesh, humans have been fascinated by the wonders of mythical flora and fauna. Yet our natural world is perhaps more incredible than anything in a fairy tale…

We Hear From Ella Burns Robbins about the Nottingham Poetry Festival and Their Wide Range of Wellbeing Workshops

Wed 04 May 2022

The Nottingham Poetry Festival isn’t just a place to discover the finest wordsmiths in the city; with a range of wellbeing workshops and activities on offer, it also provides the perfect opportunity to switch off and unwind. We run through some of the highlights…

Under Cover Artist: The Nottingham Horror Collective's Ruth Skrytek

Sat 30 Apr 2022

Head Illustrator and Co-Founder of The Nottingham Horror Collective, alongside one half of the witchy music duo Modern Coven, Ruth Skrytek has a knack when it comes to the creatively spooky. After first featuring their illustrations in our October magazine, we knew that there was no one better to design a cover for our magic issue…

Exhibition Review: 'The Magical Four' at Fletcher Gate Art Gallery

Fri 29 Apr 2022

'The Magical Four', a group show currently on display at Fletcher Gate Art Gallery, offers a look at the works of four painters, each with their own unique style.

Exhibition Review: Editing DH Lawrence at Weston Gallery, Lakeside Arts

Fri 22 Apr 2022

A new exhibition at Lakeside’s Weston Gallery explores DH Lawrence’s struggles with censorship, and the changes Nottingham has seen since it produced one of its most famous authors. Hannah Beresford takes a closer look into Lawrence’s salacious personal life.

Young Artist Ryan Boultbee Talks Architecture and Ecology

Wed 13 Apr 2022

From Worsdworth to Shelley, the Romantic poets dreamed of studying among nature. Now Ryan Boultbee has designed a building to do just that - a utopian school built on the waterside. We catch up with the artist and architect about his entry for the Young Creative Awards, his inspirations, and his project No Jobs in the Arts...

Nottingham’s Anjli Mohindra Talks Vigil, the Television Workshop and What’s Next for Her Career

Wed 30 Mar 2022

Fresh from starring in Vigil, one of the BBC’s most popular series ever, and Munich: The Edge of War, one of Netflix’s most popular films of the last year, West Bridgford’s Anjli Mohindra chats to us about her love for Notts, her time at the Television Workshop and what’s next for her career…

Artist Caroline Walker on A Female Gaze, the new Nottingham Castle Exhibition Showcasing Her Work Alongside Dame Laura Knight's

Wed 16 Mar 2022

With A Female Gaze, Nottingham Castle are celebrating the work of two generational talents from the art world. The first is Dame Laura Knight, who, as the first woman elected to the Royal Academy in 1936, was a critically acclaimed and much loved painter who created some of her most iconic work here in Nottingham. The second is Caroline Walker, a renowned British contemporary artist whose rich, atmospheric oil paintings reveal the diverse social, cultural and economic experiences of women living in contemporary society. Despite being born almost a century apart, A Female Gaze celebrates the work of both women, while exploring the developments of women artists over the past hundred years. We caught up with Walker ahead of the exhibition's opening to find out more...

Nadia on... the Arts

Sun 13 Mar 2022

In her monthly LeftLion column, Nadia Whittome, MP for Nottingham East, discusses issues affecting both Nottingham and Westminster. This month, she talks about the importance of the arts...

Under Cover Artist: Emmy Lupin

Mon 07 Mar 2022

Emmy Lupin has illustrated for the likes of Adidas and SEGA, as well as clocking up her fair share of LeftLion doodles over the years with her bright, bold and stylish aesthetic. So when it came to deciding who should illustrate the cover of our fashion issue, the choice was unanimous...