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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….

Interview: The Northern Rascals present Sunny Side at Lakeside Arts

Northern Rascals are bringing their dance drama Sunny Side to Nottingham, a painfully honest account of male mental wellness, or the lack if it.  Founders Anna Holmes and Sam Ford talk to Left Lion about their work championing those outside the mainstream...

Exhibition review: The Lovers at New Art Exchange chronicles LGBTQI+ couples over the years

New Art Exchange presents The Lovers, an exhibition of photographic works by Sunil Gupta and Charan Singh. Bringing together two collections of photographs taken forty years apart, the exhibition depicts LGBTQIA+ couples alongside a slideshow of images and a vitrine of publications featuring Gupta’s work.

Corner Cafe brings an ethnically diverse menu to New Art Exchange

Opened at the end of February 2025, the Corner Café is a brand new rejuvenation of the coffee and food spot attached to the New Art Exchange, the UK’s largest gallery dedicated to contemporary visual arts from the Global Ethnic Majority. With a lack of community-led food, drink and social spaces present in the Hyson Green area, the NAE team sought to provide that, enlisting community on everything about the venue, from the decor, to the food, to the events. We popped down to see the colourful results.

LeftLion Interviews Podcast #9 DJ Jonathan on The Palais, the changing art of DJing, Northern Soul, Jazz Funk and Tiswas

Our first podcast of 2025 and we're back with a chinwag with a veteran DJ, talking through the 1970s Nottingham scene at The Palais De Danse, as well as the changing face of music, festivals and more...

Theatre Review: The Paper Cinema at Lakeside Arts

The Paper Cinema’s take on moving pictures dazzles and delights at Lakeside...

Artworks: Hallo Ceramics talks about their projects, inspirations and making a name in pottery

Popping up at this month’s Ay-Up Market, Heather Kirk of Hallo Ceramics talks us through their journey to becoming a ceramic artist.

Theatre Review: Look After Your Knees at Lakeside Arts

Natalie Bellingham delivers a solo performance celebrating the messy business of life...

"They were roomates": inside Nottingham Castle's LGTBQ+ history and art walking tour

When it comes to queer history, there is a certain level of pressure to ‘prove it.’ How can you tell that an object, a space, building or area of a city has a queer past? There are so many hidden histories that are simply forgotten about over time but queer communities have always been here. CJ De Barra recounts the stories of some of the objects on show at Nottingham Castle, on their LGBTQ+ audio walking tour.

Theatre Review: Three Little Vikings at Lakeside Arts

Three brave little Viking girls save the day in this bold and funny adventure story for little rebels...

Theatre Review: Everybody’s Talking About Jamie at Nottingham Arts Theatre

The joyful coming-of-age musical struts into Nottingham Arts Theatre with a bright young cast and plenty of sass

A new play shines a light on the first pioneer of film-length animation and it is not Disney!

Lakeside Arts hosts this intriguing and inspiring play about Lotte Reiniger...

Art works: Brendan O’Melia, aka Metempsychosis Lights

Hailing from Leeds and having made his name in Nottingham art and music, Brendan O’Melia, aka Metempsychosis Lights, is one of our city’s most creative minds in stage lighting and visual art. His work has featured in live music shows of many genres, from trance to space rock, in venues from Liquid Light to The Angel. Here he speaks on how he built himself such a unique career. 

Cosmic Titans: Art, Science and the Quantum Universe at Lakeside Arts

In 1980, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nottingham received a letter containing a loose piece of chalk. The letter was from a former student, who explained that the chalk had been used by Albert Einstein during his visit to the university on 6 June 1930. Einstein had written equations on a blackboard during his visit, signing the corner once he had finished. This unique blackboard is now preserved at the university. Nearly a century after Einstein’s visit, Lakeside Arts is presenting Cosmic Titans: Art, Science and the Quantum Universe, an exhibition featuring newly commissioned artworks by nine artists. Jo Herlihy reviews...

Theatre review: Rosy Carrick's Musclebound at Lakeside Arts

Doctor Rosy Carrick brought her long-anticipated one-woman show to Nottingham’s Lakeside Arts on Thursday 6 February, in which she explores hidden sexual desire and female sexual empowerment through conversations between mother and daughter.

Theatre review: Rosy Carrick's Musclebound at Lakeside Arts

Doctor Rosy Carrick brought her long-anticipated one-woman show to Nottingham’s Lakeside Arts on Thursday 6 February, in which she explores hidden sexual desire and female sexual empowerment through conversations between mother and daughter.

Preview: The Animator at Lakeside Arts

Against the subversive background of 1920’s Berlin, Lotte Reiniger pioneered groundbreaking new methods of animation and filmmaking . The story of this ‘Queen of Silhouettes’ is coming to Lakeside later this month. Beverley Makin shares why this production matters...  

Nottingham Artists Tom Dale and Barret Hodgson discuss Primal Future, their Light Night 2025 centrepiece

Promising to shine brighter than ever, Light Night 2025 will feature dozens of spectacular light installations, family-friendly activities and live performances across the city centre. Among these is a new collaboration called Primal Future, a dance and digital crossover which will be projected onto Nottingham’s Council House at the event. Created as a collaboration between Nottingham-based dancer Tom Dale and digital artist Barret Hodgson, we asked them to reveal more about their work…

Our January cover artist Paula Reid talks creative community and her love of Brutalism

This month’s cover artist Paula Reid tells us about her inspirations, projects and love of Brutalism…

Competition: Win Family Tickets For The Sooty Show at Nottingham Arts Theatre This Half Term

The Sooty Show is British institution that dates back to the 1950s. A new family show featuring Sooty, Sweep, and Soo with presenter George Akid is coming to the Nottingham Arts Theatre this February half-term, with shows at 11.30am and 3.30pm on Thursday 20 February. We have four tickets to give away to a lucky winner.

Standing In This Place: Artist Rachel Carter tells us her inspirations behind a new sculpture for Nottingham's Green Heart park.

With just 17% of statues in the UK depicting women and only 2% dedicated to people belonging to ethnic minorities, there is a clear need for more varied representation in public art. Luckily, one local artist is looking to change this in Nottingham, whilst also representing the long and diverse history of our city’s textile industry. 

Standing In This Place, a sculpture by Rachel Carter will be erected in the Green Heart park in February. We asked Rachel to tell us more about the piece, how she became an artist, and what it’s like to work as a sculptor.

A remedy for January blues - jazz, comedy, art: Here's what's on this week in Nottingham 13-19 January

Take a dive into how Nottingham is continuing to kick off 2025. From music to comedy... there's enough going on to cure any New Year dejection.