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MATRIKA: SHE WHO MAKES WORLDS BY SAROJ PATEL
New Art Exchange
23 MAY – 12 SEP
Matrika: She Who Makes Worlds by Saroj Patel is an exhibition exploring women’s strength, ancestral memory, and the futures we imagine into being. In Hindu cosmology, Matrika refers to the divine mothers, a group of powerful feminine energies connected to creation, protection, and transformation.
Drawing on mythology and intergenerational stories, the works reflect on how worlds are carried forward through courage, care, and transformation. Through material, gesture, and collective presence, the exhibition honours the power of women to shape the past, present, and what is yet to come.
Everyone Welcome | Free
Working Title
Nottingham Arts Theatre
Friday 29th May, 19:30
Working Title is a bold new performance night celebrating fresh voices from across the East Midlands.
This vibrant cabaret-style scratch event brings together a dynamic programme of new and re-developed writing, showcased in front of a live audience. Expect an eclectic mix of performance art pieces, including plays and comedy sketches.
Working Title is a space to test ideas, spark conversation, and gather valuable audience feedback in a supportive and creative environment. Working Title offers a unique chance to discover work at an exciting stage of development and to be part of the creative process. You’ll experience a one-night-only programme of emerging ideas, meet new artists, and help shape the future of bold, original work being made in the region.
Produced by Outside the Lines Theatre Company. The theatre company that’s not afraid to draw outside the lines. Our mission is to support emerging artists to create dynamic and daring pieces of performance art. Championing stories and forms that challenge the status quo, we value originality and divisive storytelling that challenges audiences & perceptions of typical theatrical productions.
Tickets: £10 to £12
Interval: 20 minutes
Henry Normal
Back once again for another tour of Nottingham Libraries, @henrynormalpoet and friends treat us to a tour of the book palaces of our city. 📚
Henry is a writer, poet, television and film producer, founder of the Manchester Poetry Festival (now the Literature Festival) and co-founder of the Nottingham Poetry Festival.
In 2017, he received a special BAFTA for services to television. He co-wrote and script edited the multi-award-winning Mrs Merton Show and its spin-off Mrs Merton and Malcolm, and co-created and co-wrote the first series of The Royle Family. With Steve Coogan, he co-wrote Paul and Pauline Calf Video Diaries, Coogan’s Run, Tony Ferrino, Doctor Terrible, Coogan’s live tours, and the film The Parole Officer.
As co-founder and Managing Director of Baby Cow Productions, he executive produced and script edited numerous acclaimed projects, including Philomena, Gavin and Stacey, Moone Boy, The Mighty Boosh, Red Dwarf, Nighty Night, and Alan Partridge.
Since retiring in 2016, he has written and performed a series of BBC Radio 4 shows combining comedy, poetry and family stories. His memoir A Normal Family (2018), co-written with Angela Pell, became an Amazon bestseller.
Henry will be accompanied on tour by eleven East Midlands poets:
9th June 11am-12pm | Strelley | Keith Ford @keithford1973
9th June 1:30pm-2:30pm | Wollaton | Neal Pike @neal86
9th June 4pm-5pm | St Ann’s | Robbie Hood @robbie.hood.poetry
10th June 12:30pm-1:30pm | Hyson Green | Naomi Wood @iamnaomiwood
10th June 3:30pm-4:30pm | Radford/Lenton | Dan Webber @imgenrefluid
10th June 8pm-10pm | Central Library | Pete Ramskill @peteramskill
11th June 3pm-4pm | Southglade | Bep Summerscales @beppoet
12th June 11am-12pm | Dales Centre | Jake Wildhall @jakewildhall
12th June 1.:30pm-2.30pm | Clifton | Sophie Diver @sophiedwrites
12th June 4pm-5pm | The Meadows | Gabrielle Cracknell @gabstract__
13th June 11am-12pm | Sherwood Library | Johnny Hughes @johnnyx141
Shed Stories
Uniquely blending theatre, movement and documentary, Shed Stories is a heartwarming performance that brings to life the world of ‘Men’s Sheds’; community groups where people can come together to make, repair and repurpose as well as improve their wellbeing and mental health. Combining real-life interviews with compelling movement, it shines a light on the characterful communities around this growing phenomenon.
Funny, thought-provoking and uplifting, Shed Stories shines a light on community, connection and the little things that keep us going – friendship, laughter… and a nice cup of tea.
SHED STORIES is commissioned by Lincoln Arts Centre & Applause Rural Touring, and supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.
Ashfield Tour Dates (please check the date/location before booking)
- Jacksdale Community Centre, Jacksdale: Saturday 16 May @ 7 pm
- St Thomas Church, Kirkby: Sunday 17 May @ 5 pm
- St Johns Community Hall, Hucknall: Monday 18 May @ 7:30 pm
- Teversal Visitors Centre & Cafe, Teversal: Tuesday 19 May @ 7.30 pm
Age Guidance
There is no adult content in the show. However, the company recommends it for people aged 12+
“an engaging and delicate study of masculinity and solidarity” – The Quinntessential Review
“enlightening, informative, heart-warming and entertaining… a wonderful piece of contemporary theatre befitting of its wonderful subject” – The Honorary Manc
Film Screening! Faya Dayi
New Art Exchange
Friday 12th June, AT 7:00 PM – Late
Ever fancied going to a gig in a gallery? 🖼️ Now’s your chance!
In June, we take over @new_art_exchange gallery for a night of intimate acoustic performances from three local artists 🎶
Discover emerging talent in a unique space, with sets designed for close listening and connection ✨
BAD BETTY LIVE
New Art Exchange
15 MAY AT 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Join Bad Betty Press and us for an evening of poetry and music from local, national and international artists.
Bad Betty is an award-winning independent publisher of new poetry and curator of live literature events taking place across the UK. London-born, Nottingham-based, Bad Betty Press was set up in 2017 by Amy Acre and Jake Wild Hall to showcase exciting and risk-taking poetry, supporting poets’ artistic development and celebrating stories less often told. They believe strongly in art’s capacity to challenge its own definition, to curve away from the norm, making space for more varied voices.
Ages +16 | Tickets available via Bad Betty Press’ Eventbrite
NAE OPEN 2026
New Art Exchange
23 MAY – 12 SEP
The NAE Open returns for its sixth iteration in 2026, with a presentation of works that includes paintings, print, video, installation, photography, textiles and sculpture.
This dynamic exhibition was created through a competitive open application process for Nottinghamshire based artists and Global Ethnic majority* artists living anywhere in the UK.
Tasked to seek out the most innovative and high-quality artworks that address key societal concerns and interests, a panel of advocates including neighbours, artists and curators chose from a substantive number of submissions. The result is an eclectic and compelling selection of artists at different stages of their careers.
Everyone Welcome | Free
NOTTINGHAM POETRY FESTIVAL PRESENTS – JOHN HEGLEY
Friday 12th June 2026, 7-10pm
Canalhouse, Nottingham
ohn Hegley began his career busking outside Westminster tube station, beside the toilets, burning incense sticks to sweeten this experience. He graduated to street entertaining in Covent Garden with the spectacular Popticians, who recorded two sessions for John Peel. Then came a Perrier comedy nomination, a residency at Keats House, twelve books, one mug, an honorary doctorate, an Arts Council funded project taking ten-year-olds into art galleries, and radio appearances across the BBC network, including the one-off special: ‘All you ever needed to know about busking.’
The poet Adrian Mitchell said of him ‘just because he is one of the funniest men alive, don’t underestimate his dedicated gentleness.’ The Independent described him as ‘awesomely mundane.’
John Hegley: New & Selected Potatoes
New and Selected Potatoes is the spud-in-cheek title of the compilation of 10 volumes of work by poet, comic, singer, songwriter and glasses-wearer, John Hegley. John will perform poems and songs from across his back-catalogue, alongside new pieces, focussing on his educational work and storytelling. Mandolin accompaniment is now expanded to include a Portuguese cavaquinho and a train whistle from Didcot Railway Centre. In places the audience will be invited to participate, emotionally.
The Observer commented “Hegley is to potatoes what Wordsworth has been to daffodils” – although there is more about Keats than Wordsworth in the show. There is much about family and foolhardiness in an evening designed for adults, but not unsuitable for the odd nine-year-old.
Drop-in Gardening Sessions
Primary
Friday April 17 – Friday July 31 , 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Free weekly gardening sessions are back every Friday!
Join us for gardening activities and relax in a friendly, informal social space. Learn more about growing vegetables, fruit, flowers and dye plants and gardening in urban areas.
All ages welcome, children must be accompanied by an adult.
Refreshments provided.
ARAÁ RÍ (THE BODY SEES)
Part of Nottingham’s Poetry Festival
Lakeside Arts, Djanogly Gallery
Thu 11 Jun 2026, 7pm-10pm
Yomi Ṣode is a multi-award-winning Nigerian-British writer who recently performed at the BBC Proms 2025. His debut collection, Manorism, was shortlisted for the T.S. Eliot Prize.
For this show, Yomi will offer a rare exploration of the third section of Manorism, following the staggeringly emotional glimpse audiences witnessed at his last Nottingham performance. This work delves into the guilt, shame, and acts of remembrance that can surface in the wake of losing a loved one.
SEASON LAUNCH PARTY
New Art Exchange
22nd May, 6pm-9pm
Join us for the launch party of our new season at NAE, celebrating the sixth edition of the OPEN in our Main Gallery and Matrika: She Who Makes Worlds in our Mezzanine Gallery. Be the first to view these diverse and stimulating exhibitions.
NOTTINGHAM POETRY FESTIVAL PRESENT – BRIAN BILSTON
Saturday 6th June 2026, 7pm-10pm
Metronome Nottingham, Nottingham
With over 500,000 followers on social media and a host of sell-out shows across the country, Brian Bilston is one of the UK’s most popular poets.
He has published several bestselling collections of poetry, including You Took the Last Bus Home, Alexa, what is there to know about love? and Days Like These. His novel Diary of a Somebody was shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award, and he has also written collections of poetry for younger readers. In 2025 he released an album of his poetry set to music, Sounds Made by Humans, in collaboration with The Catenary Wires.
Brian returns to the stage with his latest book, How to Lay an Egg with a Horse Inside. Get ready for an evening of comedy and laughter, as he takes us through the hows, whys and whats of reading, writing and enjoying poetry every day.
GOBS Collective Artist Gathering
When: Saturday 30 May 2026, 10:00 21:00
Where: New Art Exchange, 41 Gregory Boulevard, Nottingham, England, NG7 6BE
Poetry writing and performance, nature connection, yoga and mini-zine making. Part of Green Hustle Festival, supported by Apples and Snakes and Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature.
Join GOBS Collective for a full day of workshops, creative exploration and performance at New Art Exchange as part of Green Hustle Festival.
This relaxed artist gathering invites you to slow down, connect with others and explore creativity through poetry, nature, music, performance and making. Throughout the day there will be opportunities to share ideas and develop new creative work before closing with an evening showcase, where workshop attendees will be invited to perform alongside GOBS Collective’s Cara Thompson, Bridie Squires, Leanne Moden and Davina Songbird.
Sessions are open to all levels – whether you are an experienced artist, an emerging writer or simply curious to try something creative.
CENTRAL LIBRARY PHOTO CLUB
After the success of the 2025 World Photography Day program, Nottingham Central Library are proud to initiate a seasonal photography club.
The Library is nestled within the Green Heart, a budding nature scape that changes with the seasons which has provided a rich source of material on our previous photography walks. Now, the library are formalising a free space in the building, once a season, for local photographers to meet, socialise, learn and head out on their own photo walks with the Green Heart as stop number 1.
With some sessions self-directed, and others featuring bite-size lectures from partners across the city, this club is an open and inclusive space to experiment and create.
Group Information:
Location: Nottingham Central Library, Atrium
Dates:
- Spring: Saturday 11 April, 12pm to 3pm
- Summer: Saturday 13 June, 12pm to 3pm
- Autumn: Saturday 12 September, 12pm to 3pm
- Winter: Saturday 5 December, 12pm to 3pm
ARTIST TALK WITH SAROJ PATEL
New Art Exchange
23 MAY AT 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Come along and join in the conversation about Saroj Patel’s latest exhibition, Matrika: She Who Makes Worlds.
Saroj’s practice explores intergenerational memory, South Asian diasporic stories, and women’s embodied knowledge through material, ritual, and acts of collective making. Her practice unfolds through acts of making, listening, and gathering.
Come along and join in the conversation about her latest exhibition, Matrika: She Who Makes Worlds. There will also be space for a Q&A with the artist.
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.
Green Hustle Festival
30th May 2026
Market Square, Nottingham
Green Hustle is back, bringing thousands of people together in Nottingham’s Old Market Square on Saturday, 30 May, for a day of free summer fun. Under this year’s theme, Growing Together, we’ll celebrate everything that connects us—from nature and food to music and shared creativity.
Preview | Queer Texture
Primary
Friday, April 24, 2026, 5:00 PM 9:00 PM
Join us for the preview of Queer Texture, a new exhibition unfolding weaving as a queer, relational, and multisensory practice. Experience newly commissioned works by Raisa Kabir, Amina Seid Tahir, and Adam Seid Tahir, shown alongside tapestries by Qualeasha Wood.
The evening includes the UK premiere of a new live performance by artist siblings Adam Seid Tahir & Amina Seid Tahir, first shown at Botkyrka Konsthall (Sweden).
Free food will be available for the first 50 arrivals, and the bar will be open all evening.
Quiet Time (5–6pm)
A calmer start to the evening with reduced noise, a scent-free environment, and face masks encouraged. Non-alcoholic drinks will be served during this hour.
Nottingham Poetry Festival Presents Vanessa Kissule and Cara Thompson
Sunday 14th June, 7 – 10pm
Poppy and Pint – Pierrepont Rd, West Bridgford, Nottingham, NG2 5DX
NPF delighted to present this joint headline show, with support from the mighty GOBS Collective.
Vanessa Kisuule is a Bristol based writer, performer, and facilitator. A multi–award-winning slam poet, she has performed internationally and worked with organisations including the BBC, British Library, Tate, and Glastonbury Festival.
She served as Bristol City Poet (2018–2020), and her poem Hollow, about the toppling of Edward Colston’s statue has reached over 700,000 views and is widely used in education.
Vanessa has written and presented The Poetry Detective for Radio 4, published two collections with Burning Eye Books, and been widely anthologised, including in the Forward Poetry Prize Anthology 2019. She co-tutors the Southbank New Poets Collective with Will Harris and has judged major prizes such as the Forward Prizes and Foyle Young Poets.
Neverland is her debut nonfiction book.
Cara Thompson is a Nottingham-based writer, performer, and interdisciplinary artist, currently serving as Nottingham’s Nature Poet Laureate and Wasafiri’s Writer in Residence. Her work spans poetry, performance, textiles, sound, and oral history, exploring Caribbean-British heritage and the legacies of the Windrush generation.
She is developing NEEDLE, an Arts Council England funded project that uses textiles, oral history, and sound to examine how memory and care are preserved through fabric and handwork.
Cara’s poetry has been commissioned by major organisations including Penguin Random House, UNESCO, and Oxfam. In 2021, she won UNESCO Cities of Literature’s Slamovision with Island Screams (Where Are You From).
Alongside her artistic practice, Cara is a musician, educator, and cultural organiser. She has been a director of Nottingham Poetry Festival since 2023, worked with poetry collective GOBS, and is a founding member of the Nottingham Black Creatives Network.
She holds a First Class BA and a Distinction MA in English Literature from the University of Manchester, and also studied at McGill University.
GOBS Collective is a lively, slightly chaotic (in the best way) spoken-word poetry group from Nottingham that’s all about big feelings, bold voices, and making art that actually says something. Founded in 2020 by Bridie Squires and Ioney Smallhorne, it grew from a bunch of workshops into a full-on creative community where poets hype each other up, experiment with performance, and aren’t afraid to get a bit weird. Their events are less “quiet poetry reading” and more “electric room full of snaps, laughter, and the occasional emotional gut-punch.” From open mics to workshops and zine-making, GOBS has built a space where anyone, from total beginners to seasoned performers, can grab the mic, spill their thoughts, and feel like they belong.
Get your tickets here