Site search

Exhibition review: the New Art Exchange Open Exhibition

How do you capture and represent the vast talent of artists across the UK? How can an organisation elevate this work, highlight key themes, and further its own mission in the process? At its core, the New Art Exchange Open Exhibition provides answers to these questions.

Behind the curtain of Niche Artefact: the Notts collective combining cabaret, art, and storytelling

Studio 54, surrealism, mythology, erotica, the Golden Age of Hollywood… These are just a few of the intriguing themes of Niche Artefact, an artist showcase combining drag, cabaret, circus, art, and storytelling. Ahead of their two-year anniversary showcase next month, we spoke to founder Robin Da Silva to find out how they are bringing flamboyance, inclusivity, and creativity to the city’s creative LGBTQI+ scene…

Art Works: Solomon Lewis Hunter, leader and costume maker at Inspire Urself carnival troupe

For this month’s Artworks, ahead of Nottingham Carnival, we spoke to Solomon Lewis Hunter, who leads and designs costumes for the local carnival troupe Inspire Urself. 

Street photographer Charlie Valentine talks Nottingham: Urban Decline, her series currently displayed at New Art Exchange

When it comes to versatile photographers, Charlie Valentine certainly stands out in Notts, having made her name with grimy, analogue street photography, printmaking, and photography workshops. Currently, her series Nottingham: Urban Decline is featured at the ongoing Open exhibition at the New Art Exchange - she tells us all about this series, plus life as a photographer.

Art auctions, fundraisers and gigs: Here's what's on in Notts this week, 28 July- 3 Aug

This week is packed full of summer fun for all ages. The creative scene is busy with auctions, gigs, yard parties and more to keep you on your toes and soaking up the summer sun. Here are our picks for this week...

Art Works: digital and canvas artist Abby Prior

For this month’s Artworks we spoke to Abby Prior, whose digital-inspired works are part of the currently ongoing New Art Exchange Open exhibition.

Our July cover artist Beth Gillespie on her Major Oak inspired cover

This month’s cover artist Beth Gillespie talks about art, folklore and finding fantasy in reality.

Not(t) Art: the arts and crafts pub night bringing people together

Aiming to take the ‘art out of the gallery and into the community’, the Not(t) Art Collective is a new project that hopes to provoke interest from people who wouldn’t necessarily ‘do’ art. Taking place at The Barley Twist pub on Carrington Street, the collective looks to engage people in a range of social creative activities; from portrait drawing socials, to bring your own arts-and-crafts evenings, to the bare essentials - life drawing! We spoke to Matt Smith, founder of the Collective about his motivations for starting the group.

Nature's song: artist and academic Caroline Locke on her work with Sherwood Forest's Major Oak

Artist and Derby Uni’s Associate Professor of Interdisciplinary Arts, Caroline Locke is known throughout the country for her imaginative work with sculpture, light, and sound. Six of her creations are currently featured in FOREST: an ongoing exhibition at Nottingham Castle - in light of that she told us more about how forests ( particularly Sherwood Forest and the Major Oak) have become a central part of her art practice in recent years. 

Cherelle Fulton tells us about Behind Closed Doors: a program spotlighting creative women in Notts

Over at New Art Exchange, Behind Closed Doors is creating a new space for women in the creative industries to connect, collaborate and reshape the scene in Nottingham. Co-ordinator Cherelle Fulton discusses what fuelled her projects, including live music night Can’t Stand The Rain, the importance of community and connectivity, and creating safe spaces for women.

Stage review: a beautiful night of drag, burlesque and art with Niche Artefact

Thursday night saw a flamboyant jamboree of creativity and performance as Niche Artefact returned to Revolución de Cuba for a beautiful night of drag, burlesque and art...

Theatre Review: The Nottingham Drag Pageant at The Nottingham Arts Theatre

It’s official- Nottingham cannot get enough of drag- and it knows how to do it better than most cities!...

Our June cover artist Lily Keogh talks festivals and perfectionism

This month’s cover artist Lily Keogh talks about festivals, neurodivergence and perfectionism.

Exhibition Review: Country Lives at Lakeside Arts

Over at Lakeside Arts, the current exhibition ‘Country Lives’ explores the use and depiction of the English countryside over the last 200 years. We went down to check it out…

Setting the stage: catching up with the Nottingham Playhouse's artistic director Adam Penford

Over the last few years the Nottingham Playhouse has become one of the most buzzing regional theatres in the UK. Originally established in 1948, the venue has a long history of attracting quality actors like Sir Ian McKellen, Dame Judi Dench, Hugh Grant, Vicky McClure and Mark Gatiss to perform its stage. With a clutch of new awards and accolades over the last couple of years, we thought it high time to catch up with their artistic director Adam Penford…

LeftLion Interviews Podcast #11 LaQuarn Lewis on BBC mini series What It Feels Like For A Girl, Television Workshop, and LGBTQ+ Notts

Notts born actor LaQuarn Lewis is one of the stars of a new BBC mini-series, What It Feels Like For A Girl, which tells the story of Byron, a Queer teen who is desperate to escape the confines of Hucknall. We caught up with LaQuarn on the podcast to chat about the show, his time at Television Workshop and growing up Queer in Notts...

Artworks: multi-medium artist and video creator Tom Hackett

For this month's Artwork we turned multi-medium artist Tom Hackett who's work is being exhibited at the upcoming New Art Exchange Open Exhibition from Friday 30 May...

Restaurant week, comic con, body positive art and Japanese pop-punk: Here's what's on in Nottingham 2 - 8 June 2025

There's a great mix of stuff happening this week in Notts - we've got Japanese pop-punk from Shonen Knife, Sneinton Avenues Vegan Market, Comic-con, Restaurant week and some inspiring exhibitions. Here's our top picks...

LeftLion Issue #184 June 2025

This month featuring our guide to local summer music festivals, Nottingham Poetry Festival, actor LaQuarn Lewis on BBC's What It Feels Like For A Girl, the Nottingham Attacks Two Years On, Nottingham Playhouse's Adam Penford, Nottingham Craft Beer Festival, the Lenton Centre, Future Makers and more...

Our May cover artist Becky Appleyard talks comic books, table-top games and advice

This month’s cover artist Becky Appleyard talks comic book art, inspirations, and advice for artists…

Artworks: Kelly Brown on the process of pencil drawing

For Artworks this month we spoke to local pencil artist Kelly Brown.

Theatre Review: The Zoo That Comes to You at Lakeside Arts

Art exhibitions, community events and legendary gigs: here's what's on events this week in Nottingham 12 - 19 May 2025

This week in Notts, explore our material world, take One Step At A Time for community, or listen to some big tunes shaking the Arena... 

Theatre review: Niche Artefact at Revolución de Cuba

Taking place in the gorgeously themed interior of Revolución de Cuba, queer performance troupe Niche Arteatrfact treated us to a jaw dropping performance of their new show: Secrets of the Molly House.

Artist Luke Jerram tells us about Gaia: an installation displayed this month at Mansfield Palace Theatre

This month the avid stargazers of Notts can experience a new perspective of life on earth over at Mansfield Palace Theatre. Featuring audio soundscapes and stunning visuals, Gaia is a vast, breathtaking replica of planet Earth by artist Luke Jerram. Aiming to get to the core of this installation, we spoke to Luke about public collaboration, merging science with art and what it takes to create on such a large scale….