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Safety, dignity, choice: how POW Nottingham advocates for sex workers and other vulnerable people

Having been awarded £500,000 in National Lottery Funding, enough to financially support the organisation for the next three years, POW Nottingham has announced its reopening. As a safe space in Nottingham, they support the rights of sex workers and those at risk of being exploited. We chatted to CEO Helen West about their impact, vision and the value of specialist services for those in the sex industry.

Classical music at Nottingham Theatre Royal & Concert Hall with Matt Wigley, Music Programme Manager

Whatever genre of music you’re into, it’s likely you’ll be able to find an iconic music venue in Notts catering for your taste. Taking care of the classical corner, Matt Wigley has been Music Programme Manager at the Royal Concert Hall since the end of 2024, attracting top orchestras and classical superstars to the city. He talks to us about upcoming acts, world-class acoustics, and why anyone can get into classical music…

Game on: The Dice Box Board and Brick Lounge recommends some cosy games to play this winter

If you are looking for cosy ways to spend your evenings as the nights roll in, look no further than The Dice Box in Sneinton Market. The board and brick lounge (they have games to play and Lego) which opened in May has over 700 games to play, from the competitive to the co-operative, and family friendly and to more complex titles. Along with a social drop-in event on Thursdays, you can book a table to chill with friends in their fully-licensed cafe, and lots of titles are available to buy and take home.

Here co-owner David Walden gave us some of his top picks to play or buy at The Dice Box this winter…

Art works: Bea Giaquinto's multi medium exhibition marking Framework's 25th anniversary

For this month’s Art Works we hear from Bea Giaquinto, the artist behind a forthcoming exhibition about homelessness at St Mary’s Church, which marks the 25th anniversary of local charity Framework. 

How the Secret Tart Club is bringing professional women together in Notts

When we first heard of a mysterious Secret Tart Club bringing women together across Nottingham, we didn’t know what to expect. Lucy Campion attended the club’s summer soirée and spoke to founder Sabrina.

Gig review: Deaf Havana at Rock City, with The Dangerous Summer

Fifteen years on from its release, Fools and Worthless Liars still means a hell of a lot to a lot of people. Judging by the queue outside Rock City and the packed room long before the headliners appeared, tonight wasn’t just another anniversary show for Deaf Havana. For many in attendance, it was a chance to reconnect with an album that sound tracked a particular chapter of their lives...

LeftLion's Latest Listens #55: Notts music we're currently spinning

Welcome to edition 55 of LeftLion's Latest Listens! This week, our music team reviews new releases from Panchiko, Keane Baldwin, Cathedra and Emily Ashberry...

Pick six: Charlie Dean, co-owner of Sneinton Market plant sanctuary Watered Garden

For this month’s Pick Six, we heard from Charlie Dean, co-owner of Sneinton Market plant shop The Watered Garden, which hosts terrarium and festive wreath workshops in November and December. 

Theatre review: Pride and Prejudice (*sort of) at Nottingham Playhouse

The Laurence Olivier Award winning Pride and Prejudice (*sort of) is at Nottingham Playhouse until Saturday 7 November, bringing an audacious retelling of Jane Austen’s classic with added pop hits.

How the Nottingham Folklore Society are bringing people together through tradition

If you feel as though algorithms, emails and newsfeeds are dominating your life, perhaps it’s time to take a step away from the screen, hark back to our ancestors and consider some slower traditions. Set up this year, The Nottingham Folklore Society is here to help you do just that. An informal evening of talks and conversation, their popular get togethers weave together calendar customs, storytelling, crafts and more. We spoke to founders Nikki Millar and Jake Epton to hear what they’ve got in store for the winter months…

Theatre Review: High Society

The singing is beautiful, the dancing fun, the costumes on point

Midnight sun: a new exhibition of the late and loved Notts artist Sarah Cunningham's work

Nottingham Contemporary celebrates the work of late Nottingham artist Sarah Cunningham with Midnight Sun, the largest presentation of her work to date. Senior Curator Katie Simpson and Senior Marketing Manager Catherine Masters tell us about bringing Sarah’s work home, remembering the artist behind it, and creating an exhibition that feels like stepping inside one of her paintings.

Theatre review: Once Upon a Time in Sokoto at Nottingham Playhouse

In Once Upon a Time in Sokoto at Nottingham Playhouse, tense beaten rhythms intertwine with the voices of joyous ululation as relationships are continually tested in Northern Nigeria at the turn of the 20th century.  Zinara and Nafisa juxtapose their tales about the slaver and the enslaved, husband and wives, the Boko language and cowrie shells - all of which are underpinned by the power and riches of the colour indigo.

In bloom: Notts ambient rockers Eyre Llew talk their new second album and their show at The Nest

Notts ambient rockers Eyre Llew became local heroes in Notts in the late 2010s, and went on to tour their immersive sound across continents. Now, they’re back with their second album: Bloom, and a show this month at The Nest, which is set to be truly spectacular… 

Soft launch social: the Notts speed dating event for friendships

Making friends as an adult is hard – despite loneliness being a common issue, it is rarely talked about openly. Enter Soft Launch Social: a speed dating event for friendships that was set up earlier this year and takes place at Bustler Food Hall in Sneinton Market Avenues. We spoke to founder Meigan to hear about the curation of the event, how the event unfolds, and the impact it’s already having on the community in Nottingham. 

Work in progress: comedian Arthur Smith on his show at the Nottingham Comedy Festival

Arthur Smith, grumpy old man and famous comedian, is one of the headliners of the Nottingham Comedy Festival. What comedic treats does he have in store for us? 

Gig review: Ibibio Sound Machine at Rescue Rooms

Ibibio Sound Machine have very quickly become pioneers within the world music scene and have some extremely admirable accolades to their name. To frequent shows such as Later… with Jools Holland as well as having one of the worlds biggest bands (Coldplay) asking you to support them on their stadium tour suggests that you not only need to be releasing music to an impeccable standard, but you also need to deliver a live show like no other. And as Rescue Rooms saw last Saturday night, Ibibio Sound Machine did just that...

Theatre Review: Nottingham Operatic Society - Chess The Musical

A musical tale from the cold war that will give you goose bumps

In the club: Club Jok are bringing global cultures to big screens in Notts

Club Jok is a Nottingham-based film curation team that is bringing cultures from around the world to the big screen through films both new and old. We speak to film enthusiast and Club Jok’s lead programmer Samuel Leary, to hear more…

Gig review: Skindred at Rock City

On the first night of the You’ve Got This tour, and the first of two sold-out shows at Rock City, Skindred arrived in Nottingham with their unparalleled force that turns a gig into a full-body workout. For more than two decades, the Welsh ragga-metal pioneers have built a reputation as one of the most electrifying live bands around, blending crushing riffs and reggae grooves with frontman Benji Webbe’s unstoppable charisma. A Skindred show always promises high-energy and opening night of the tour was no different...

Comedy Review: Kiell Smith-Bynoe’s Kool Story Bro at the Nottingham Playhouse

Kiell Smith-Bynoe (star of Ghosts, Taskmaster and Stath Lets Flats) fronts the Kool Story Bro, which is renowned for inventive, off the hoof improvised comedy with a bevy of surprise celebrity hosts. But will they deliver tonight, and who is the special guest...

Haunting: Write Queer’s third DIY zine collection launches at Nottingham Central Library this spooky season.

It’s not just Halloween to be getting excited about next week! Last month, Write Queer announced the chosen writers to be featured in their third grassroots zine collection, Haunting. Next Friday brings a celebratory launch event of the new issue, local creatives, and LGBTQ+ voices together at Nottingham Central Library.

Closing chapter: Jane Streeter looks back at thirty years of Lowdham shop The Bookcase

After thirty years at the heart of Lowdham village, The Bookcase — an independent bookshop founded and owned by Jane Streeter – has now closed its doors. Selling an abundance of local and global books, the shop supported local schools in the community, and also welcomed a few famous authors over the years, along with founding the Lowdham Book Festival which happened for over twenty-six years. Jane told us about the journey of the bookshop, along with the highs and core memories, over three decades…

LeftLion's Latest Listens #54: Notts music we're currently spinning

In this 54th edition of LeftLion's Latest Listens, our music team reviews new releases from ROB GREEN, Revenge of Calculon, Pillow Fort, Lucas Walters and A-Tota-So

The next stage: 25 years of the Nottingham Arts Theatre

For the past 25 years Nottingham Arts Theatre has been serving the city with a programme of local and touring indie stage shows in their iconic 200 year old Hockley building. We spoke to poet, and theatre Chair director Campbell Kay about the theatre’s journey, its role as an educational charity nurturing theatrical talent in Nottingham and their diverse range of shows…