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Nottingham City of Literature are Running a Creative Writing Competition for Writers Aged 10-25

Are you a youngster in our city who has gifted gears whirring away? We have a corking competition for you… 

Basket Brigade: The Charity that Delivers Parcels of Joy to Nottingham's Most Deserving Residents

It’s estimated that Brits spend over £19 billion on presents during the festive season each year, and feast on 308 million slices of turkey. But not everyone thinks of December as a season of indulgence and happiness. That’s where Basket Brigade come in. Each year, with the help of a team of volunteers and the support from local businesses, they reward individuals and families in need with an extra dose of love, in the form of a present from their community… 

Food Review: Carluccio's Christmas Menu

When you think about Christmas food, it’s hard not to imagine gluttonous platters that will leave you in a food coma for days. Italian gaff Carluccios has turned that on its head with its festive menu, which indulges you in rich, beautiful flavours rather than over-stuffing you like nana’s turkey...

Nottingham International Film Festival 2019

We sent George White and Jack Beresford down to Nottingham International Film Festival 2019 to find out what was cracking off...

Notts’ Panto Legends Kenneth Alan Taylor and John Elkington on Bringing Sleeping Beauty to the Playhouse This Christmas

This year marks 35 years since Kenneth Alan Taylor first brought pantomime to the Nottingham Playhouse when he arrived as Artistic Director. For a generation, his gentle northern tones were the voice of the quintessential panto dame, a role he reprised over and over before hanging up the costume changes for writing instead. It’s also been 21 years since John Elkington first appeared in a Playhouse panto and solidified himself as the current dame of choice. Our Stage Editor – and massive panto fan – sat down with them both during rehearsals for Sleeping Beauty to find out about this year’s production… 

LGBTQ+ Notts: What's Kicking Off in December?

5 Cracking Christmas Market Foods at Nottingham's Winter Wonderland

We found the best Christmas Market stalls so you don’t have to. 

Theatre Review: Sleeping Beauty at Nottingham Playhouse

Kenneth Alan-Taylor’s 37th Pantomime at Nottingham Playhouse is a glitter-filled, magical celebration of the traditions of panto that will delight audiences of all ages.

Theatre Review: Cinderella by Northern Ballet at Theatre Royal

An original and magical take on the classic tale…

Celebrating Catterntide is Showcasing Our City's Rich Lace History

Nottingham has a huge history, and lace weaves into a big part of that... 

NottsShop: November 2019

It's official. Cold, dark, miserable, rainy nights can only be combated one way... it's time to eat, drink and be merry*!

*My definition of 'being merry' mainly consists of shopping, FYI. And no, I'm not talking about Christmas presents. Unless they're for yourself.

5 Nottingham Albums to Listen to This Month

Another month, another shed-load of talent...

Why Framework's Big Sleep Out is So Important for Nottingham's Homeless Community

Framework's annual Big Sleep Out takes place on Saturday 23 November at the City Ground, and there's still time for you to sign up to participate. We spoke to the charity's Claire Windebank to find out how the money raised benefits their service and the hundreds of local users... 

6 of the Most Hipster Coffees in Notts

Life is rarely ever boring. So why should your coffee be?

We're Helping to Bring Back Nottingham's Lost Culture Mag from the 90s

Nottingham's 1990's culture magazine Overall is being brought back to life over two decades after it folded, thanks to a regeneration project by LeftLion, with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund...

Skate Nottingham on the Innovative Development of Disused Spaces and How Skateboarding Enriches the Community

Since last year, more than 1,300 people have engaged in local skate-related activities. Nottingham held the UK’s first city-based festival of skateboarding – combining exhibitions, public talks and film screenings with skate comps and parties – Flo Skatepark was taken into public ownership, and we’ve been featured in international conferences and publications. Nottingham’s skate scene already offers solutions to unloved urban spaces and acute social challenges, yet there’s still so much left to do. Chris Lawton of Skate Nottingham gives us an update on recent events, and looks to the future of skateboarding in the city…

Serif Are the Local Tech Company Taking on the Big Guns with Their Editing Software

Five years ago, during the fall of 2014, two revolutions were about to start: the now-famous Umbrella Movement protests in Hong Kong, and the launch of Affinity Designer,, developed by Nottingham-based company Serif. Affinity Creative Suite – complete with the launch of Affinity Photo in 2015 and Affinity Publisher in 2019 – would eventually provide an interesting, and affordable, alternative to the mastodon Adobe Creative Suite... 

Hackspace Help Nurture the DIY Skills of Nottingham's Creative Crowd

Tucked away off the outskirts of Sneinton stands Roden House, a building most wouldn’t think twice about when walking past. But if you are one of the 700 Nottingham Hackspace members who owns a key, you’ll know that there’s quite an extraordinary space inside, where your skills and creative projects can be nurtured with the help of specialist equipment. Our Eve Smallman spoke to founder Dominic Morrow about the concept, the ups and downs, and why spaces like these should be as common as gyms...

Dance Theatre Review: Wasteland at Nottingham Playhouse

Kate Hewett went to Nottingham Playhouse to check out Gary Clark's dance theatre production Wasteland...

Review: Black Men Walking at Nottingham Playhouse

The Eclipse Theatre Company presents...

Do Nothing on Experimental Song Writing, Playing Moscow and Making a Proper Record

It’s exciting to witness the rise of local quartet Do Nothing. They’ve played some massive shows this year — including a sold-out gig at The Bodega — and are soon to embark on a European headline tour, featuring a highly-anticipated hometown show at Rescue Rooms in November…

The Nottingham Comedy Festival Director Helen Stead: "It is important to remember that comedy is an outlet to escape from reality, people like to have a laugh to forget about their troubles."

Since its inception in 2009, The Nottingham Comedy Festival has been consistently bringing the laughs to our city year after year. With 2019 set to be the biggest and best festival yet, we caught up with co-founder and director Helen Stead… 

Nottingham International Film Festival Returns in November

In November, The Nottingham International Film Festival returns for its fourth year. We had a chat with the festival’s Director of Operations, Neil Jeram-Croft, to find out everything you need to know about the event… 

Phlexx Records: "Music and creativity should be used to enrich the community; that's what they're there for."

Since 2013, Trekkah Benjamin has been at the helm of Notts music label Phlexx Records. A&R Manager Maddy Chamberlain and Marketing and PR Coordinator Cate Grundy complete the Phlexx family, joining Recording Director Trekkah in 2017. Between them, they’ve got the industry nailed – but they aren’t stopping yet. We grabbed the trio for a chat ahead of our joint stage stint at the Hockley Hustle...

Sir Trevor Nunn and Kenny Wax are Putting on a Musical in Nottingham

One of them is the multi-award-winning producer of The Play that Goes Wrong, Top Hat and Six. The other is one of the most legendary figures in the history of theatre, winning numerous Tony and Olivier Awards, directing the likes of Cats, Starlight Express and Les Misèrables, and being named by The Telegraph as one of the most influential people in British Theatre. Together, Kenny Wax and Sir Trevor Nunn are launching Identical, a brand-new musical premiering as part of the new season at Nottingham Playhouse…