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Writing for Life
Wollaton Hall
Tuesday 10th March 2026 – 16:00-19:00
This twilight event for students will bring together a range of professionals from various backgrounds to share their experience of using written and spoken language creatively in their jobs and careers.
A series of talks, interspersed with practical tasks, will give young people a chance for hands-on experience of using creative writing in different ways, and a chance to see the diversity of uses creative and descriptive writing can have in the workplace.
This will be followed with a chance to visit stalls of speakers and other local organisations to ask questions and find out more, ‘open day’ style.
This event aims to:
– Inspire young people to take creative writing forward into their adult lives
– Increase their awareness of the range of jobs and roles that use creative and descriptive writing on a day to day basis
– Broaden understanding of what writing can be used for in the world of work
– Create an interest in writing via awareness of how many different ways it can be done, and how many different uses it can have
– Offer fun, hands-on activities with seminar style talks from guests
– Create transferrable skills in CV writing, Personal Statement writing and confidence in composition and expression
General public: Tickets will be available from 7th Jan 26
Individual tickets: £3 per person
Under 16’s must be accompanied by an adult, Accompanying adult tickets are free
If cost is a barrier to attending, we do have some subsidised tickets, please contact [email protected] for more information
The Spirit of Bulwell: Tea, Cakes and Stories
Bulwell’s rich history and heritage are full of stories waiting to be shared, and we want to hear YOURS!
Join us for The Spirit of Bulwell: Tea, Cakes and Stories, a friendly creative project where we’ll come together over warm drinks, biscuits and conversation to explore what makes Bulwell special. Over a series of weekly sessions, we’ll gather memories, share local histories, and work together to create a brand-new community installation for Nottingham Light Night 2026that shines a light on Bulwell’s heart and heritage.
These sessions are all about:
Sharing stories, moments and memories of life in Bulwell
Exploring the places, people and histories that shape the area
Connecting with others in a relaxed, welcoming space
Helping build a creative installation that celebrates Bulwell’s spirit
You’ll be supported by our amazing Theatre Director Laura Ryder, who’ll gently guide the group each week – no creative experience needed.
DATES:
6 Jan • 13 Jan • 20 Jan • 27 Jan • 3 Feb
12:30 Talks
Nottingham Contemporary
Tue 7 Oct – Sat 10 Jan, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, 12.30pm
12.30 Talks are short personal responses to our current exhibitions given by our knowledgeable team of gallery assistants. They last 15-20 minutes and vary in topic from day to day. Some gallery assistants offer brief introductions to the exhibition, others talk with passion on a favourite artwork, artist or theme.
They will take place at 12.30pm every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday throughout our current exhibition, starting on 7 Oct.
Tue 9 Dec
On art and sex magick, with reference to the work of Murni
with Simon Withers
Thu 11 Dec
TBC
Sat 13 Dec
Bearing witness: on the role of art in the history of the oppressed
with Karen Lunt
If you wish to join one of our 12.30 Talks, we recommend booking free entry to our exhibitions online to save time on arrival – but it’s fine just to drop in and ask for entry at reception.
New Art Exchange: IN PLACE OF FEAR BY SIMEON BARCLAY
10 Oct, 2025 – 24 Jan, 2026
In this new exhibition Simeon Barclay draws upon a rich vein of pop cultural sources, producing works that activate complex cultural histories, whilst exploring the ways in which we navigate identity, both imposed or self-curated. Combining a diverse range of media, Barclay creates reductive, sophisticated works that engage with aspects of aesthetics, British culture, subjectivity and memory.
After spending his formative years working in the manufacturing industry in the North of England, Barclay would attend night school, eventually obtaining an MFA from Goldsmiths University, London (UK). As a youth he became preoccupied with fashion, citing its vitality as a conduit for both embellishment and resistance. Fashion’s social and economic contexts were also relevant, providing a dichotomy between the artist’s fascination with Vogue magazine, a periodical whose glamour and theatricality provided aspirational imagery, and the stark contrast that was his everyday reality and life working in a factory. These insights would later foster the impetus for his involvement in various subcultural movements whose symbolic and alternative modes of expression defined themselves in opposition to social norms.
MYTH, MOVEMENT, MACHINE, AND FOLK DANCE IN THE AGE OF AI
Djanogly Theatre – Lakeside Arts
Tue 27 Jan 2026, 1pm
See dance meet AI: Digital artists from Pell Ensemble and Anarchy Dance join forces with an AI researcher to explore folk dance and emerging technology.
Digital dance artists and researchers Rebecca Evans (Pell Ensemble), Chieh-hua Hsieh (Anarchy Dance), and creative technologist and AI researcher Daniel Bisig (Coventry University / Zürich University of the Arts) will explore the intersection of traditional folk dance and emerging technologies, through the lens of their current collaborative work-in-progress, FIELD/陣 Zhèn.
IN THE MAKING: UNLOCKING YOUR CREATIVITY
21 FEB, 2026 AT 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
New Art Exchange
Are you an emerging artist, creative entrepreneur, or aspiring creative at the start of your journey? Join us for a one-day networking and development event designed to support early-career creatives.
Led by the women of NAE, the day includes interactive workshops on branding, personal development, and turning ideas into projects, as well as open discussions and opportunities to connect with others in the creative sector. Gain practical guidance, honest insights, and tools to build confidence, develop your ideas, and take your first steps toward a sustainable creative career – or simply figure out where to start. You’ll also discover more about NAE’s ways of working and the opportunities available within the organisation.
You’ll have the chance to meet some of the women currently working at New Art Exchange, like Emma Gower, Olga Andrade, Rastarella, Priya Chopra, Kiesha Gibson and more. Let’s connect and grow together.
Spaces are limited, so please book your space once it is available.
+18 only
THE RUIN
16 JAN, 2026 AT 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM
New Art Exchange
The Ruin is a new performance by British artist Simeon Barclay, commissioned and first presented by The Roberts Institute of Art. This piece combines spoken word and live percussion by James Larter and horn by Isaac Shieh to explore themes of British identity, masculinity and class.
Drawing from his upbringing in Huddersfield as the son of West Indian parents, Barclay reflects on the industrial landscape of northern England in the 1980s and 90s, using rhythm and melody to evoke a rich and layered soundscape.
Presented against the backdrop of Barclays’ exhibition, the performance engages with this distinctive environment, where spoken word, sound, and sculpture intersect. The performance also draws inspiration from early modern music, industrial sounds, and pop cultural references, blending them into a theatrical meditation on self-image, memory, and the evolving myth of Britain.
With RIA’s support, Barclay developed The Ruin over a year-long R&D period that included close engagement with the theatre, costume, and performance teams.
FREE 16+
METRONOME NOTTINGHAM
Just the Tonic has been producing comedy shows in Nottingham for over 25 years. We have now found a new home in Metronome. Described by many comedians as one of the best comedy venues in the country. With Just the Tonic’s notorious reputation for the best comedy line ups in the country… you can be sure you are getting one of the best nights in town…
We bring you four different acts at every Standard Saturday show including some of the best up & coming comperes and headliners from the UK & abroad. We open from 8pm so you can have a pre show chat and grab some drinks from the bar. Our show starts at 9pm, so you get your laughs in then make further plans for the night. Or catch the Early shoes from 6pm.
ARTIST TALK: IBIYE CAMP
WED 21 JAN 2026, 6-7:30pm
Bonington Lecture Theatre
On the occasion of Ibiye Camp’s solo exhibition at Bonington Gallery and the newly commissioned artwork displayed in NTU’s Design and Digital Arts Building, we are delighted to welcome Ibiye to give a talk about her recent work and wider practice, followed by a Q&A led by Bonington Gallery Curator & Director, Tom Godfrey.
The talk will take place in the Bonington Lecture Theatre, just next door to the gallery, and is free and open to all, booking required.
Community Kitchen
New Art Exchange
Upcoming Community Kitchen events:
8th January: The South Korean Kitchen
Come and eat with us! At the Corner Café in the New Art Exchange, we serve up plant-based dishes from a different culture on the first Thursday of every month.
This month we are excited to present an evening of South Korean inspired food for you to enjoy.
Meals are served from 5 pm and drinks are available to buy at the café.
Our gallery will be open until late for you to explore.
Everyone is welcome – no one turned away for lack of funds. Sit down, enjoy a great meal and get to know your local community!
Meals are served from 5 pm and drinks are available to buy at the café.
Everyone is welcome – no one turned away for lack of funds. Sit down, enjoy a great meal and get to know your local community!
Please note that The Community Kitchen is first-come, first-served. We prepare a limited number of portions to minimise food waste. While booking a ticket helps us estimate how many people to expect and promotes the event, it does not guarantee that you will receive food. We recommend arriving early to avoid disappointment.
Our food is always vegan-friendly at Community Kitchen events and allergy information is available on request. Feel free to contact us with any questions you may have.
ANDY WARHOL: POP ICON
Lakeside Arts
Tuesday-Saturday, 10am-4pm
Sunday, 12 noon-4pm
Launch event:
Friday 23 January, 6.30pm-9.30pm
Andy Warhol (1928-1987) was an American Pop artist who reimagined what art could be at a time of great social, political and technological change.
This survey of works from across his career includes early drawings, painted screenprints and photographic series featuring Warhol’s collaborations with artists, friends, filmmakers and celebrities. Images of Marilyn Monroe, Liz Taylor, and Warhol himself feature alongside icons of American consumerism, as well as symbols of the artist’s fascination with mortality.
The exhibition includes rarely seen early drawings and illustrations from the 1950s; paintings from the 1980s never exhibited in his lifetime; and lesser-known ‘stitched photographs’ which were the focus of his last exhibition before his death.
LI QINGYU
Wallner Gallery, Lakeside Arts
Tue 20 Jan – Fri 27 Feb 2026
This exhibition showcases the exquisite scroll paintings of Li Qingyu, a nationally recognised first-class Chinese artist based in Ningbo and Director of the Chinese Calligraphy and Painting Association.
With over 60 years of experience, Li Qingyu is a master of his craft. While renowned for his elegant freehand paintings of Chinese ladies, this exhibition also features his powerful depictions of flowers and birds, demonstrating his remarkable versatility. His works have been exhibited and collected worldwide.
Part of Lunar New Year celebrations, in partnership with the Nottingham Confucius Insitute.
JUST US DANCE THEATRE: CREATIVE CAREERS TALK
Wed 15 Apr 2026, 1-2pm
Djanogly Theatre, Lakeside Arts
As part of a residency at Lakeside Arts, Joseph Toonga, Just Us Dance Theatre’s Artistic Director, will deliver a Creative Careers talk to discuss the wonders and the challenges of a career in the creative industries, what it looks like to work as a freelancer, and will share some tips on how to navigate a career in the creative sector.
This is an opportunity for freelance creatives and students, to find out more about the practicalities of a career in the arts. There will be insights on how to build employability, what to look out for in the early stages of a freelance career, and how to create and build a network around you.
You will not only have the chance of listening directly from the wealth of experience Joseph Toonga brings to the table, but also ask him questions about his journey and career.
JUST US DANCE THEATRE: OPEN TECHNICAL REHEARSAL
Thu 16 Apr 2026, 3.30pm
Djanogly Theatre, Lakeside Arts
As part of the company’s residency at Lakeside Arts, Just Us Dance Theatre are inviting students and Artists who are studying or interested in performing arts to observe a technical rehearsal at Lakeside Arts during the production week of a new show, ‘A Night of Hip Hop Theatre’ performed by the 2026 Just Us Apprenticeship Company.
You will have the opportunity to be in the theatre, observing the artists and technical team as they prepare for the premiére performance. This opportunity will provide a unique insight into how a premiere is created, from the perspective of both the artists performing and the technical side of getting a show ready for performance.
This will be followed by a Q&A session, where you will meet Just Us Dance Theatre’s Artistic Director Joseph Toonga and have the opportunity to ask questions.