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Tattoo artist Maiko Only on her micro-realist designs and inspirations

In this month’s Artworks we hear from tattoo artist Maiko Only...

Theatre Review: Ordinary Decent Criminal at Lakeside Arts

Mark Thomas returns to Lakeside in a one-man play by Fringe First winner Ed Edwards. Telling the tale of Frankie, a writer and drug dealer with a history in political activism, who is serving his first prison sentence.  A terrifying prospect, considering his ‘lack of a right hook’... 

Theatre Review: Trouble, Struggle, Bubble and Squeak at Lakeside Arts

Using a combination of comedy, storytelling and knitted vegetables, Victoria Melody treated us to a tale of resistance that was both tender and galvanising...

Exhibition review: Quiver at Lakeside Arts

Kate MccGwire's latest solo exhibition, Quiver, is a powerful overview of 25 years' worth of work. Typically, it does not shy away from the uncomfortable. Bulging, writhing and rippling through more than three rooms at the Lakeside Arts Centre, Quiver is a body of sculptural work made alive through the dualities MccGwire is fascinated with: the potent beauty of the natural world, and its powerful, sometimes grotesque underbelly…

Artworks: Anna Mylonas of Nine Two Five Silver

For this month’s Artworks, we hear from Anna Mylonas, a Notts-based silversmith who runs Nine Two Five Silver.

Artist and actor Heather Agyepong on her latest exhibition at New Art Exchange

Heather Agyepong is a British-Ghanaian photographer, visual artist and actor based in London. In 2024 she entered her work into the New Art Exchange Open and won one of the awards. This led to her current solo exhibition From Sunrise to Sunset, She Worked to Reform Herself: Part 1 which is on show in the city until January. She told us more about her intriguing art practice, finding space for rest and life as an actor…

Rap artist JayaHadADream on her debut record and the Nottingham music scene

Since winning last year’s Glastonbury Festival Emerging Talent competition, things have only been on the up for Cambridge-via-Notts artist JayaHadADream. From collaborating with both local names and national heavyweights in dance music and hip hop, like Andy Zoutr, Gardna, and Flowdan, to receiving nods from the likes of Stormzy, there’s truly no stopping her. Wonderfully, she also got her start right here in Nottingham.

With her debut album Happiness From Agony now released, plus a Metronome show this month, she told us how life’s going at the moment.

Undercover artist: illustrator Isabelle Farrar is busy and inspired

Artist Isobelle Farrar, who designed this month’s spooky cover, tells us about her inspirations and recent projects…

Wytch craft: a look inside Sneinton Market's Wolf Wytch Apothecary

The season of mists and mellow fruitfulness is upon us, and there’s nothing better at this time of year than coming home to a cosy living space. If you have a love for the spooky and the scented, then here’s three exciting words for you: Wolf Wytch Apothecary. An independent business that has been alive in the heart of Sneinton Market for almost three years, Wolf Wytch is run by its wickedly talented head alchemist Lauren Wolf. It’s home to an enchanting combination of scents – from candles to skin care – and plenty of gothic vibes…

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…

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... 

LeftLion Interviews Podcast #14: Artist, Performer and Filmmaker Hetain Patel on Inspiration, Superheroes, Nationalism and Nottdance

This episode we are joined by artist, performer, filmmaker, sculptor and general arts polymath Hetain Patel to talk about his time in Notts, his work, superheroes, nationalism and quite a lot more...

Artworks: Lucy Suggate and Tender Stones

For this month’s Artworks, we speak to dance artist and choreographer Lucy Suggate about her work Tender Stones, which will be performed this month as part of the 2025 nottdance Festival.

Comedian Carl Donnelly previews his new gig at The Squire Performing Arts Centre

TV and radio comedian Carl Donnelly is touring with his first new show in five years. So what kept him so long? It's quite a story and one he shares with Left Lion... 

We speak to Dekker about music, personality and artistic intention

With a new album Neither Up Nor Down under his belt, US-born Nottingham resident Dekker is preparing for a hometown show at Rough Trade. We caught up with Brookln to talk about his streaming platform success, the personal nature of his music persona, and the creative influences Nottingham provides...

Comedian and activist Mark Thomas talks Ordinary Decent Criminal

Cathy Symes interviewed Mark Thomas, the political activist, comedian, actor and director who is starring in Ordinary Decent Criminal, an award-winning play coming to Nottingham's Lakeside Arts in November...

Theatre Review : The Poitin Maker's Child at Lakeside Arts

Inspired by time in Irish history when Irish boys wore dresses to confuse the fairies, this immersive performance channels Irish mythology to explore identity, gender and power...

The Thompsons on street art, Rocky Horror, and Notts venues

In late August, Nottingham's most opinionated grocers told us their opinions on September's hot topics - spanning street art, Nottingham venues, and surreal two trips that they made to see the Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Theatre Royal...

Theatre, gigs, poetry and art: here's what's on this week 22 - 28 September 2025

Whether you fancy indulging in some playful art, enjoying some excellent theatre, checking out some chap hop or getting inspired by poetry, there's plenty on in Notts this week...

These streets are ours: Sneinton Market Avenues

For this instalment of These Streets are Ours we celebrate the creative hub of Sneinton Market Avenues…

Exploring street art in Beeston with Jeanie Barton

Over the past ten years, the suburb south-west of Notts: Beeston, has become a hub for striking and inspiring street art, thanks to the efforts of the ever-industrious Beeston Civic Society. From tributes to Nottingham legends like Paul Smith and Richard Beckinsale, to an artistic interpretation of the butterflies that migrate from Africa to Attenborough Nature Reserve and Beeston Marina, take a stroll through Beeston and you’ll be treated to many visual treats lauding local culture. We asked Jeanie Barton, the person who set the Beeston street art wheels in motion, to tell us more about it.

Lyv Forever: local artist Lyvia talks virality and playing live

While the words ‘street art’ automatically make you think of colourful graffiti, Nottingham musician LYVIA creates hers in a unique and quite literal way. Thanks to a visionary videographer and a lucky twist of fate, her viral performances on the corner of Maid Marian Way have transformed her from ambitious local busker to national soul-rap sensation with a huge social media following. We sat down to get the story behind her rapid rise and her forthcoming new mixtape…

Beyond the Wall: the New Art Exchange team talk telling stories with street art in Hyson Green and Morocco

In recent years, the New Art Exchange gallery in Hyson Green has sought to firmly centre their ambitions in serving the local community – placing the cultural needs of the neighbourhood first. A big part of that has been their street art and murals project: Beyond the Wall, which via lots of ambition and creativity has spanned both Hyson Green and Marrakesh, Morocco. We spoke about the project with NAE CEO Saad Eddine Said and artist Laura Decorum – whose work has been vital to Beyond the Wall…

Follow the stickers: Notts filmmaker Matt Watts on the stories behind sticker art on the streets

Hidden amongst the barrage of commercial advertisements and billboards that dominate our city landscape, the more curious among us may be drawn to some unusual markings; the plethora of quirky stickers plastered on lampposts, signs and electrical boxes. Follow the Stickers is a short film by Nottingham-based documentary filmmaker Matt Watts. Here he shares his journey of tangents, discovering artists, events and more obscure messages of the underground sticker world, and telling us why we should keep an eye out for them too…