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How UK Indie Magazines Are Rebuilding Community After Social Media Burnout

Independent magazines never set out to become refuges. They simply carried on being themselves. Something shifted around 2022. Not dramatically — more like a slow leak. Readers, writers and creatives across the UK began quietly stepping away from their feeds, worn down by the noise, the algorithms, and the performative sense of connection that social media had long marketed as community. What they discovered instead surprised even the people offering it: print. Independent magazines never set out to become refuges. They simply carried on being themselves.

Why Nottingham could be the UK’s next indie film city

Last month, we were lucky enough to be invited to the Q & A screening of The Correction Unit hosted by the folks at cinema collective Lounge Trip. From there, we mingled with the cast and crew of the film as well as local filmmakers to find out just what Nottingham needs in terms of funding for films, plus one big question: could Nottingham become the UK’ next indie film capital? 

We Feed The UK arrives at Primary

Telling the inspiring stories of food producers across the country, award-winning project We Feed The UK has arrived in Nottingham for a limited run at Primary Gallery until Saturday 14 March. We sent Jo Kingsley to the launch to find out more...

Home away from home: life for Nottingham's Ukrainian diaspora

For decades, there has been a strong Ukrainian community in Notts, organising events and fundraisers to keep their culture and traditions alive. As such, Russia’s 2022 invasion of the country made our city an obvious destination for many refugee families. As we pass the invasion’s fourth anniversary, members of City Hub Ukraine and the Ukrainian School Band talk about supporting the diaspora and people caught up in the conflict… 

Gig review: The Ukrainians at Nottingham Ukrainian Cultural Centre

Tusk 'til dawn: Jim Baron of Crazy P fame on his new musical project White Elephant

Best known as one of the founders of Notts electronic music titans Crazy P, Jim Baron (aka Ron Basejam) is a man with his fingers in several musical pies. This month sees the release of World Elephant Day, the first album from White Elephant – a collaborative project with Ben Smith (of Smith & Mudd fame) and fellow Crazy P member Chris Todd. In a wide-ranging catchup, Jim takes us from the halcyon days of nineties Notts to his solo work, and how The Sopranos played a role in the story of Crazy P… 

Exhibition review: Ukranian Social Club at Backlit Gallery

Ukrainian Social Club is a collaboration between Backlit and the Nottingham Ukrainian Cultural Centre based in Carrington, Sherwood, focusing on Ciaran Spencer’s photography alongside artefacts representing Nottingham’s Ukrainian community across 75 years. It is an intimate, emotionally layered exhibition merging portraiture, film, textiles and tradition to tell a story of resilience across generations in the face of war and displacement.

UK Women’s March Nottingham 2025

Coming up on the 9 August, The UK Women’s March aims to show in solidarity with women and girls around the world – to demand safety, equity and justice for women, girls and gender-diverse people everywhere. We caught up with Amy, the appointed City Lead for UK Nottingham Women’s March, to find out what's in store...

Gig review: AC/DC UK at Rescue Rooms

AC/DC UK kept a packed Rescue Rooms rocking all night long with a thoroughly convincing set featuring many of AC/DC’s greatest anthems, complete with a spectacular exploding cannons finale...

Gig review: The Get Up Kids at Rescue Rooms

The Get Up Kids graced Nottingham’s Rescue Rooms in a flurry of guitars and emotions on Wednesday evening. The room was full to the brim with long term fans, and the air buzzed with excitement...

We chat to Better Joy about her EP, embracing vulnerability and touring the UK

With her debut EP heading into blue out soon, Better Joy (Bria Keely) takes listeners on a journey from the deeply personal waiting on time to the intimate reflection of quiet thing, balancing raw emotion with uplifting melodies. Working alongside legendary producer Mike Hedges, she’s crafted a sound that’s both nostalgic and refreshingly new. As she prepares for her first headline UK tour, including a date at The Bodega in Nottingham, Bria shares insights into her artistic evolution, the magic of live performance, and what’s next on her musical horizon…

Film review: 1% of War, a new documentary reveals harrowing details from the frontline in Ukraine

Ukraine war three years on: new documentary, 1% of War reveals harrowing details from the front...

“The UK’s first outdoor carnival was in Nottingham, not Notting Hill”... Nottingham Carnival returns this Sunday 18 August - here’s what to expect

The annual Nottingham Carnival returns to the Victoria Embankment this coming Sunday 18 August. We take a look into its history and speak with organiser Richard Renwick MBE, and Rastarella of Cultural Vibrations who is performing at the event, about what we can look forward to...

A House in Jerusalem: How this Nottingham company made the first UK and Palestine co-produced film

For 24 years Al Clark and Rachel Robey have produced independent films, from all around the world, through their Nottingham based company Wellington Films. They've just wrapped up their tenth feature film, Sister Midnight, which saw the pair travel to Mumbai to shoot on location, aired at Cannes recently and set to be released early next year. Their most recent film, A House in Jerusalem, saw them travel to Palestine - the film is the first ever UK/Palestine co-production - for several months. Last month it screened in Broadway, which is where the company is based, but it is returning for two more screenings due to popular demand.  

LeftLion Interviews Podcast #1: DJ Graeme Park on Selectadisc, The Hacienda and the UK Club Scene Past and Present

Welcome to the first episode of the ‘LeftLion Interviews’ podcast. Our guest is the radio and nightclub DJ Graeme Park.

Ballet, Talks About Women in Music, a Movie About the UK Rave Scene and Literature Lectures: Here's What's On In Nottingham This Week: 29 April - 5 May 2024

This week in Nottingham we have ballet, talks about women in music, a movie about the UK rave scene and literature lectures from acclaimed international authors...