LeftLion Magazine #132

How the New Art Exchange Became a Leading International Arts Space

Skinder Hundal has been Director at New Art Exchange (NAE) since 2008, from the moment their iconic black box building in Hyson...

We're All Black Down Here is Set to Explore the History of an African-Caribbean Miner in the East Midlands

25 January 21

George White talks to writer Milly James and producer Sophia Ramcharan about We’re All Black Down Here, a short film exploring the story of an African-Caribbean miner in the East Midlands...

Book Review: Chicken Town by J.A. Pollo

22 January 21

We check out the fictionalised biography...

Looking Ahead: 2021 Nottingham Art Exhibitions At a Glance

19 January 21

2020 may have been a bit of a letdown, but once restrictions allow it, we can’t wait to visit a range of art exhibitions. Here are a few new shows you can look forward to. All dates are subject to change, so be sure to check before visiting...

Food Review: Absurd Vird

18 January 21

Don't you know about the Vird?

BOHNS Are Flipping Nottingham's Burger Scene On Its Head

16 January 21

Picture this: a juicy burger, brimming with cheese, sauce and spice. Wrapping your smackers around it. Sinking your teeth into all that bun and meat. Licking your lips in relish. Mmmm. That’s the BOHNS Burgers experience for you. They know how to pack in the flavour and the textures in their mouth-watering burgers. Our Food Editor Eve Smallman chats to owner Tom Bohn about how they make them so damn good, and why you should get your chops around one ASAP…

Sheltered Spaces Are Creating Beautiful Bespoke Structures For People Around Nottinghamshire

13 January 21

Since 2014, Marcus Rowlands has been creating beautiful, bespoke structures for clients in and around Nottinghamshire. Born in Arnold and now based in Carlton, he studied Textile Design at the Glasgow School of Art and worked for many years in education, as a lecturer at Nottingham Trent University, at various FE colleges and running community art workshops, before launching his design and build company, Sheltered Spaces. He tells us about his design philosophy, the character of wood and the joys of cabin porn...

Doreen Simmons: Nottingham's Sumo Wrestling Queen

12 January 21

Sumo wrestling commentator, teacher, author, singer, philanthropist, Mastermind contestant, recipient of Japan’s Order of the Rising Sun… Nottingham-born Doreen Simmons lived a life filled with adventure. Having recently, with friend Jane Russell, co-written a play about her life, history enthusiast Jayne Muir explains why Doreen’s is a story well-worth telling…

Food Review: ViDa By Lorentes

10 January 21

Living la ViDa By Lorentes...

Homelessness in Nottingham: Is Giving Always Good?

07 January 21

Whether you live or work in the city, or are just heading into town to grab your last few presents, the likelihood is that someone asking for money will approach you at some point. It’s a sad reality at any stage of the year, but at a time where many of us are preparing for the joys of Christmas and the weather is reaching dangerously cold levels, there’s an even deeper level of pathos. While for many of us, the natural human instinct is to offer money or food, Framework’s Service Director Dave Smith and Ronnie Tucker, Service Manager for Framework's Street Outreach Teams suggest a more long-term way of helping…

Beat the Streets Has Reimagined Its 2021 Festival As a Winter Fundraiser

07 January 21

2020 began on a high for charity music festival Beat the Streets when Jake Bugg took to the Rock City stage to headline the one-day, multi-venue festival, which raised £75,000 for Framework. But with the physical festival on hold, and the number of rough sleepers increasing, DHP Family have reimagined 2021’s festival for a post-COVID world…

Soldiers on the Street: Why Ex-Military Personnel Find Themselves Experiencing Homelessness

06 January 21

It’s long been the case that ex-military personnelfind themselves experiencing homelessness at highly disproportionate rates. The lack of support for transitioning back into civilian life, substance abuse issues and PTSD all play contributing factors and, while steps are being taken to address the issue, it remains problematic. Ex-serviceman Tony was in the Royal Navy for three years and the Royal Marines for another nine, before a serious injury ended his military life. Here, he talks about the experience of going from being a decorated veteran to living on the streets...

Diary of a Framework Street Outreach Worker

05 January 21

Framework’s Street Outreach Team directly engage with and help rough sleepers, assessing their individual needs and either providing help or referring them to other relevant services. Former Police Community Support Officer, Zoe Wade has been in the homelessness sector for thirteen years and, having worked as a member of the Street Outreach Team for the past two months, takes us through what an average day entails, and what inspired her to choose this career...

Framework at 20: Women and Homelessness in Nottingham

04 January 21

Sofas are cosy home comforts for most people. But for many homeless women, who have fled from their homes to the comparable safety of the streets, a sofa is simply a makeshift bed for the night. But what they get in that mild comfort can come with a dark price, and can mean they struggle to escape a never-ending cycle of abuse. We speak to Framework’s Operations Manager for women’s and families’ services Claire Windebank about the physical and mental difficulties homeless women face, and how Framework helps them get control of their lives…

Out of Time: The Life of Samuel Fox, Founder of Nottingham Building Society

01 January 21

We take a look at the life of philanthropist, educator, anti-slavery campaigner and founder of the Nottingham Building Society, Samuel Fox...

Faces of Nottingham: Local Photographer Urban Scot on Street Photography and His New Book

30 December 20

Framework Housing Association Celebrate Helping Nottingham's Homeless Community for 20 Years

29 December 20

For twenty years, Framework Housing Association has helped tens of thousands of vulnerable people in Nottingham overcome issues of homelessness, addiction and mental ill-health to once again achieve social inclusion, financial stability and independence – changing the direction of their lives for the better. We look back on the history of the organisation, and learn the value they bring to our city, and the lives of the people who need them most…

Christmas on a Budget with Local Recipe Creator Lucy and Lentils

23 December 20

Food is such a big part of the festive season, providing so many tasty memories and cause for merriment. Things might be feeling a bit tighter on the wallet following this year’s troubles, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still chow down on some tasty nosh this Christmas time. We’ve enlisted Notts recipe creator and photographer Lucy Parker to share some tips on how to make your food extra tasty on a budget, and make sure nothing goes to waste...

5 Nottingham Albums to Listen to This Month

22 December 20

The latest Nottinghamshire releases...

The Nottingham Culture Review of 2020

22 December 20

Let’s face it: 2020 has been the crappest year since we dropped the ‘S’ from the beginning of Nottingham. Here’s our rundown of what’s happened in our local culture scene over the last twelve months...

(Not) Driving Home for Christmas: Nottingham's Expats On Their First Christmas Away from Loved Ones

20 December 20

The never-ending merry-go-round of Government lockdowns, tiers and regulation changes mean that, for many of us, it’s beginning to look like Christmas 2020 will be very different. Continuing travel restrictions and limits on the numbers of people who can gather have ensured that, for some Notts residents, Christmas will be spent away from their loved ones for the very first time…

Under Cover Artist: Rob White

17 December 20

Multidisciplinary artist Rob White takes us inside his sixth LeftLion cover, an ode to putting 2020 behind us for good...

Rock City at 40: George Akins on Nottingham's Best Loved Venue

15 December 20

Nottingham’s legendary nightclub and live music venue Rock City turns forty this month, but celebrations will be quieter than usual due to the pandemic. We couldn’t let the occasion pass without a chat with owner George Akins of DHP Family about the history of Nottingham’s most famous music venue...

Nottingham Playhouse's Adam Penford on This Year's Live and Online Pantomime, Cinderella

14 December 20

Nadia on... Homelessness in Nottingham

12 December 20

In her monthly LeftLion column, Nadia Whittome, MP for Nottingham East, discusses issues effecting both Nottingham and Westminster. This month, she discusses the issue of homelessness in Nottingham, and the role local organisations play in combatting it...

The Thompson Brothers on Biden, the Vaccine and Jaguar F-Types

10 December 20

Nottingham's most opinionated grocers on...

A Big Issue Vendor in Notts

08 December 20

"You’ve got to be a positive person in this job; at least, I think you do. You want people to buy mags from you because they want to, not because they feel guilty."

Overheard in Notts