Pick of the Week: 12 - 18 October

image: Still from Nina Forever, Mayhem Film Festival 2015
 

Bloomberg New Contemporaries
Many an apparently esteemed art boff will scoff at the notion of contemporary art - fobbing it off as nothing more than someone’s scruffy bedroom littering what once was a well kept gallery. Pointing no fingers, of course, Ms Emin. Here in Notts, though, we think the kooky concepts of blossoming artists is summat to shout pretty loud about, so we’ve volunteered to host this year’s Bloomberg New Contemporaries exhibition in gallery spaces including Backlit, One Thoresby Street and Primary. Artists gearing up to present their work include Abri de Swardt, Sophie Giller and Jamie Fitzpatrick. If your diary is too ram up to get down this week, the exhibitions will run until the end of the month, so there’s plenty of time to find out who’s set to be the next Damien Hirst.
Runs until 31 October, various times, Backlit, Primary, One Thoresby Street, Nottingham Contemporary

Mayhem Film Festival 
As avid readers of our mag, we’re sure you remember this issue’s In Focus with Mayhem’s top dogs, Chris Cooke and Steven Sheil. This month marks the return of the scariest film festival in the country, and it's a bit earlier. Get ready to stock up the nightmare bank with films including Steve Oram’s Aaaaaaaah! and Karyn Kusama’s ominously named The Invitation. There’s a right treat in store for you an’ all, in the form of a live reading of Hammer’s unmade script, The Unquenchable Thirst of Dracula, starring two Television Workshop actresses, Sabrina Sandhu and Lauren Carse. It’s definitely not one for the faint hearted, but promises to be a proper good day for the adrenalin junkies among you. Grab a full weekend pass for seventy bob, or pick a day and pay for what you can see. Hurry up, though, cos they’re bound to sell out.
Thursday 15 - Sunday 18 October, various times, £5.30 - £70, Broadway

Nottingham International Microfilm Festival (NIM)
Two Nottingham film festivals in the same week – somewhere along the line, the planning wasn’t great, but it does highlight what a buzz there is for film in the city. NIM is brought to us by the newly formed Nottingham Screen Partnership (NSP), key members of which include Nottingham City Council, the University of Nottingham/Asia Business Centre, Nottingham Trent University, Confetti Media, the Creative Quarter, Broadway Cinema, GameCity, Creative England and Wellington Films. "So...er...Microfilm?" we hear you ask. Well, it is basically a sector of Chinese filmmaking that brings a range of short format films together, under one banner. Throughout the festival’s six days, there will be microfilm screenings, masterclasses and networking events in various Notts venues. Contrary to its name, it looks like it is going to be big - as is the long term plan, to make Nottingham a global hub for microfilms outside of China. Nice one, (peking) duckehs.
Thursday 15 – Tuesday 20 October, various times, prices and venues.

YMCA Digital: Young Creatives

YMCA Digital: Young Creatives
One thing our city has got going for it, is our passion and drive to pass on our creative talents to the next generation. Leading the way in this mammoth task, are the artsy types behind the YMCA Digital: Young Creatives project. Taking a bunch of youts with a passion for music performance, production and film, a select group of industry professionals are passing on their wisdom in weekly sessions open to 11-19 year olds. To show off what they’ve learnt, the kids have bagged a monthly slot at the soberest bar in town, Sobar. This Friday, there’ll be a screening of a short film by Velvet Jacket Productions, and performances from young artists including Nikita, Onkaur and Jamie Silver. If you wanna spot the next big hitter before they’ve even left school, this is where you wanna be.
Friday 16 October, 6pm, free,  Sobar

Nottingham Symphony Orchestra
If a night out on the town usually includes necking a petrol station bottle of wine in the taxi on the way to one of Rock City’s student nights, despite graduating seven years ago, then perhaps it’s time you broadened your horizons and gave sommat new a try. This Friday, the Nottingham Symphony Orchestra are tuning their instruments to give you a taste of a whole load of classical bites. From Dance of the Hours by Ponchielli and Fantasy on themes from Rigoletto by Luigi Bassi, it’s set to be an evening of high class for a under a tenner. If you fancy making a proper night of it, you can chuck twenty bob in the way of the ‘Hall and have your dinner ready and waiting at the venue.
Friday 16 October, 6pm, £7.50, Albert Hall

It's a Phlexx ting, and their birthday...

Phlexx 2nd Birthday
If you’ve managed to avoid the name Phlexx in the last couple of years, then you must have tiny pebbles lodged in your lugholes, and highly sensitive selective eyesight. The brand is everywhere, hosting nights at The Maze, Bodega and Nirvana on a reg. They even have their own t-shirts. ‘It’s a Phlexx ting’ has become part of the Notts language, courtesy of Bru-C and Trekkah, two of the most mischievous men this city has to offer. This year, bless their little cottons, the lads’ business venture is turning the grand old age of two, and wants you lot to celebrate it with ‘em with a load of music in their favourite Mansfield Road venue. With performances from Trekkah, Yazmin Lacey and the infamous Mrs Green, there’s a slice of every kind of pie. Go and give ‘em a sing song as they blow out the two no doubt flaming candles from their birthday cake.
Saturday 17 October, 9pm, £3/£5, The Maze

Big Fat Charity Music Quiz
If you and your mates think you’ve got enough knowledge about music stuffs to rival Simon Cowell himself, then you best get your bottoms down to The Barrel Drop this weekend for their fundraising music quiz. Matt Barton, Mark Smith and Sophie Wright have already run the Notts Half Marathon this year to raise cash moneys for Crohn’s and Colitis UK, and they aren’t stopping the money rolling in any time soon. After Matt’s wife Lisa was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis last year, they decided to raise money for the charity to help raise awareness of the illness. It’s a mighty good cause, and you’ll have a chuffin’ good time raising money for it an’ all. Pop down to the Barrel on Saturday, as well, cos they’re donating 50p from every pint sold to Matt and Lisa’s cause. If you can’t make it this weekend, you can still donate to the Justgiving page: www.justgiving.com/Sophie-mark-Matt-running/
Saturday 17 October, 2.30pm, charity donation, The Barrel Drop

Get yer zombie on...

Draw-a-Doodle-Dandy: 28 Poses Later 
Things are getting a little undead, this month, particularly in the life drawing business. In homage to the ghostly time of year, this month’s Doodle life drawing session is all about living on the zombie side of life, with models donning their best impression of those living on the dead side of life. Starting at half past the midday hour, models Zombie Sarena and Gory Gordy are concocting the most realistic batch of blood their food cupboards can produce, for you artistic types to get sketch the perfect Halloween portraits about. There’s also gonna be a load of ‘dead good’ snacks, cakes, tea and coffee for you to slurp while you ponder what lies beyond the grave...
Sunday 18 October, 12.30pm, £15, St John’s Carrington

Apple Day 
Hey fact lovers, did you know that there are over 7,500 varieties of apple? No messing. That’s worth celebrating, and who better to throw a good old apple party than the St Ann’s Community Orchard at STAA. They won’t have every single type of apple, but there will be hundreds of varieties to pick, taste, juice, juggle with – you name it. Plus, cake, cider (naturally), games, workshops, soup and general fun and frolics to be had. To make the day a bit more special, they’ll be officially opening their Strawbale Building, which has been built by volunteers with strawbale walls and an earth roof. Fanceh. Only one thing for it – get down and have a leisurely munch and a gander.
Sunday 18 October, 11am – 4pm, free, St Ann’s Allotments Community Orchard

For the motherload of everything else going on this week check out our comprehensive Nottingham events listings.

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