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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...

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Ever since we launched in 2003, LeftLion has been created, maintained and enhanced by writers, designers, photographers, illustrators and techies from Nottingham. Although we now have a strong team of creatives and backroom staff, we're always looking for new blood in practically all areas. If you want to be down with the ‘Lion, read on...

The Official LeftLion Guide To 2025 Festival Season

Can you hear that? It’s finally in the air – instruments reverberating across wide open fields, the chimes of communities singing and laughing together, the sound of footsteps as friends stumble back to their tents or homes, ready to do it all over again the next day, or the following weekend. That’s right, the 2025 summer festival season is finally here, and with the return of Splendour Festival right here in Nottingham, it’s shaping up to be a big one!

To give you the lowdown, here’s our ultimate guide to the best local festivals taking place in the city of Nottingham and the surrounding areas over the next few months…

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...

Novelist Alison Moore and LeftLion's Andrew Tucker Leavis talk connecting Notts to Melbourne in a month long digital residency

For all of its flaws, the internet has become a wonderful tool of cross-country collaboration, allowing the movement of ideas between far-flung time zones and territories. Last year, in a month-long virtual City of Literature residency, LeftLion Literature Editor Andrew Tucker Leavis took a virtual trip down under to explore the imagined meeting of outlaws Robin Hood and Ned Kelly. Here he recounts his experience and talks to fellow Notts writer Alison Moore about what they got up to.

LeftLion's Latest Listens #22: Notts music we're currently spinning

In this edition of LeftLion's Latest Listens, our music team reviews new releases from Blackadder, Mollie Ralph and Set In Motion...

LeftLion Interviews Podcast #10: Comedian Matt Forde on His Early Life In Notts, Kier Starmer, Spitting Image, Forest, Cancer and The End of An Era Tour

Originally from Lenton, Matt Forde is a comedian, TV and radio presenter, writer, impressionist and quite a lot more. He’s perhaps best known for his podcast The Political Party, but he's also a regular face on TV and currently on his End of An Era Tour...

Did LeftLion save the Sheriff in Escapologic’s Robin Of Lockskey escape room?

Last week as Escapologic celebrated their 10th birthday, the LeftLion team were invited down to try out another of their fantastic escape rooms, Robin Of Lockskey. But did we manage to save the Sheriff and escape? Read on to find out…

LeftLion's Latest Listens #21: Notts music we're currently spinning

We're back once again with a pre-Bank Holiday edition of LeftLion's Latest Listens. This week, our music team reviews new releases from Swallowtail, highspeedpeach, MCØ and Drew Thomas...

LeftLion Issue #183 May 2025

Featuring 20 Years of Dot To Dot, comedian Matt Forde, boxer Leigh Wood, Igloo Hostel, Nottingham Restaurant Week, NottAlone, Dom Gourlay, the 1525 Collective, The Amazons, A Projectionist in Notts and more...

Overheard in Notts: March 2025

From the Lion King to lost blueberries, here's what we overheard in Nottingham in April...

LeftLion's Latest Listens #20: Notts music we're currently spinning

In this Easter weekend edition of LeftLion's Latest Listens, our music team reviews recent releases from Katie Keddie, Joey Collins, Blu Syrup, Lace Thief and Karen Macleod...

LeftLion's Latest Listens #19: Notts music we're currently spinning

In this week's expanded edition of LeftLion's Latest Listens, our music team reviews new releases from Keane Baldwin, KALIKO, Pretty Windows, No Setting Son and Dusty 4 Track...

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...

Overheard in Notts: March 2025

Slippers, stand-up and Sleazy Stu, here's what you've overheard in Nottingham this month... 

Christie Classics, Castle Beer Festival and the Netball Super League: Here's what's on this week in Nottingham 31 March - 6 April 2025

Whether your idea of a good time is brushing up on your Orwell and Christie in the theatre, or enjoying live music and a drink in the sun, there's plenty going on in Nottingham for you this week... 

LeftLion Issue #182 April 2025

Musicals, markets, gigs and beer: here's what's on this week in Notts 24 - 30 March 2025

With MOBO tributes and Old Market Square filling up with market stalls, to Calamity Jane stopping at Theatre Royal, there is non-stop entertainment in Nottingham this coming week…

Ay-Up Market returns to the Old Market Square from Friday 28 March to Sunday 30 March

Bringing communities together, the popular Ay-Up Market returns to Nottingham city centre bigger and better than ever this year, with stalls from local businesses, food, drinks, workshops, music and entertainment for your little ones...

Wrestling, gaming, writing, gigging: here's what's on in Nottingham this week 17 - 23 March 2025

Gaming or gigging, writing or wrestling - whatever floats your boat there's something on this week in Nottingham to keep you entertained...

Locating Lawrence: March 1925

Lawrence is unable to travel after receiving his first official diagnosis of tuberculosis...

LeftLion's Latest Listens #18: Notts music we're currently spinning

In our latest edition of LeftLion's Latest Listens, our music team reviews a selection of recent new releases. This time it's the turn of ROB.GREEN, Dead Mint, Drew Thomas, Sam Oakley and Stuart Pearce...

Competition: E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial at the Royal Concert Hall

One of the most iconic movies of the 1980s is coming to the Royal Concert Hall big screen, accompanied by a magnificent live orchestra. We have two pairs of tickets to give away…

Offline crafting, theatre, day parties, cultural festivals, and 80s new wave: here's what's on events this week 10-16 March 2025

This week in Notts! Get yourself out to enjoy the first inklings of spring, plus a load of great events around the city. Check out a four day festival at New Art Exchange, enjoy gripping theatre at Nottingham Playhouse and Theatre Royal, get crafting in a no-phone-zone, or head down to Vicky McClure's Day Fever at the Palais...

LeftLion's Latest Listens #17 special edition: Divorce

In this special edition of LeftLion's Latest Listens, we sample the debut album Drive to Goldenhammer from Nottingham's own Divorce...