This is, of course, the rightlion, by Tony Cassidy, www.flickr.com/photos/tonycassidy/428424569/

Today’s Roundup won’t be mentioning GameCity (because we covered it last week) nor Christmas (nuff said).  It will however be drawing your attention to:

Fancy writing about art or culture?  We are always interested in potential new bloggers, drop a line to editor@creativenottingham.com.  If you are an artist or running a creative business and you would like to be a Guest Blogger over a fortnight, drop us a line to the same address.  If you fancy reviewing theatre or comedy for the great local publication LeftLion, have a look at their job description.  Note that you will be paid the same as for writing for Creative Nottingham.

If you think you will be inspired by the technology at GameCity (oops) and you want to explore your inner electronic designer first, get down to Hackspace on Saturday for the Arduino (no, I don’t either) Boot Camp.  To cover the costs, the tickets are £43.05, and you will need your own laptop.

If the virtual reality of GameCity (but note, no Father Christmas reference) is not to your taste, how about surrealism?  NTU’s Professor Lei Cox has assembled the fruit of 26 years of investigation into achieving surrealism in a free exhibition at the Bonnington Gallery in town. The exhibition entitled Twenty-six years later (a journey into fiction and back again) runs until 11 November and new photographs, new video installations and some retrospective video and photography pieces.

Finally, does your auntie live in Erewash? If so, that might be enough to get you priority treatment when you apply for (small) funding as part of the Art in Empty Shop Scheme for Long Eaton and Ilkeston, the rEive initiative.  More details from Creative Greenhouse, with contacts and application information – deadline 4 November.

Editor: one out of two isn’t very good.  New blogger next week, please.

But worry not if you can’t make it to the Fringe this year (like me *sobs*) because the production will be going on tour once the festival is finished. Keep an eye on Simon Carter’s website; he’ll be adding tour dates as they’re confirmed. So far it’s confirmed for four dates throughout September and October – watch this space!

Simon Carter is a playwright, comedy sketch writer and former stand-up comedian. His latest play, Blink, is due to debut at Nottingham Arts Theatre in November. It centres round a man suffering from locked-in syndrome following an accident, who has lost his only means of communicating with others – blinking one of his eyes.

Nottingham Arts Theatre is holding auditions for the play on Sunday 4th September at 2pm. There are 4 parts up for grabs: 3 men and a woman. You can download the audition notice and scenes here (PDF format).  I’ve been looking to get involved in the theatre again since I moved over here, so I’ll most likely be going along.  Might see you there!

You can follow Nick Osmond, who is starring in Phys Ed on Twitter at @Phys_Ed2, where he’s Tweeting about his Edinburgh experiences. Simon Carter is also on Twitter as @carterbloke – though he hasn’t Tweeted much yet!!

As we do seem to be stuck in a downturn, there is talk that this is precisely the sort of atmosphere that creative communities thrive in – that times of economic hardship bring forth a creative outpouring. Standing in Billy Bragg’s Glastonbury tent a couple of weeks ago it seemed possible that if enough people believed then we could make a difference. But here in the real world it is more likely that we can merely document what happens and hope that people take notice.

The Full Monty may be remembered as a comedy where men get their kit off but the most moving part is Tom Wilkinson as the older foreman, desperate to get a job and keep his dignity. Those facing redundancy in Derby’s Bombardier plant this week must be hoping this isn’t a case of life imitating art.

The Full Monty runs until Saturday at 7.30pm. Tickets are £12/ £10 concessions.

by Quinn Dombrowski www.flickr.com/photos/quinnanya/3830116122/

Last weekend was Media Camp Nottingham 4, as we publicised earlier.  And last week saw the debut podcast Nott Cast, from Aaron Cottrell and Ollie Carefull, two of the attenders.  As their conversation makes clear, they already had the idea, but benefitted from conversations at MCN4, particularly from multi-social media guru Phil Campbell. And they just went ahead and made their concept real a few days later.  You can get a flavour of the day from the Twitter tag #mcn4 or the Scoop.it (thanks Francine Pickering for creating this). 

Long time readers of this blog will recognise Aaron as one of our guest bloggers from June last year.  He wrote about his business and his ideas here, here, and here. 

Some of us are old enough to remember when “neat” was an all purpose adjective, and not the name of an amazing festival in Nottingham, although it’s original slang sense is a good one word description.   As publicised in this blog last week, their website covers everything – if you are overwhelmed by what’s on offer, and paralysed by indecision, you might find Hatch’s take on “performance-y” useful.   And for the creative programmers amongst us there is the interview Giles Croft, artistic director, gave to LeftLion. This also contains a sobering reminder that artists outside Britain can have their work, and their lives, cut off. 

The festival continues until 12 June.

Image credit: Anthony Hopwood

This round-up sees us welcoming back some established events, plus saying hello to fresh faces too: always a pleasure thanks to Nottingham’s dynamic creative scenes!

First up, a can’t miss celebration in Market Square – as in, you literally cannot miss it if you pass through! Last year I stumbled upon this celebration by accident and stood open mouthed and amazed by the costumes, the dancing, and the music. Yes, it’s time once again for the carnival celebration inspired by the Mexican Día de los Muertos – the day of the dead. Presented by ArtReach and funded by the Joyce Carr Doughty Trust, Night of Festivals: Box of Tricks is a special preview of the forthcoming Night of Festivals 2012. Featuring some spectacular constumes and dancing, as well as special Michael Nyman screenings in their mini-cinema, it’s worth getting down there, and best of all, it’s free! Night of Festivals: Box of Tricks runs this weekend, 28th and 29th May.

If that weren’t enough, this weekend also sees the launch of NEAT11, the Nottingham European Arts and Theatre Festival. Nottingham’s Hatch have programmed a series of alternative and experimental works across the city to attempt to discover what it means to be British, German, Polish, Iranian, Belgian, English, European and/or a horse. See their website for details, or for the full programme, see the NEAT11 site.

Next, on Sunday 29th, Nottingham’s digital community presents an open day and party for the Nottingham Hackspace. If you’ve not heard of this remarkable space before, come and have a nose. If you’re passionate about technological reuse, repurpose, reinvention or invention, or the creation of anything textile, metal, wooden or digital, the Hackspace is somewhere you’ll be wanting to spend some time. The open day will feature tours, demos, presentations, BBQing and much more.

It’s a busy weekend, so make sure to remember your packed lunch and we’ll see you there

Well the holidays are over, for now – but what a marvelous thing to have a week ‘bookended’ by bank holidays – might even be rarer than a solar eclipse!  Hopefully you made the most of it (if you had the opportunity).

Now it’s back to work, but at least we still have the beautiful sunshine to maintain some ‘happy’ hormones, before the rain comes.

Fear not, this is not intended to be a prediction of the weather – but the near future for Nottingham is looking even brighter (spiritually, at least) – as there are plenty of arty and cultural activities to keep us all occupied over the coming week.

Here’s a brief round-up of just some of these events:

Fluorescent Sheep

Date and time: 3rd – 14th May. Open Tues-Fri 12-6. Sat 11-5. (Private View: 5th May 6-8pm)
The venue: Surface Gallery

This entirely volunteer–run gallery has yet another intriguing collaboration to offer lovers of contemporary art…(picture above courtesy of the Surface Gallery website).

This curiously titled exhibition, alone, is enough to entice me for a visit. If only to answer one question - will there be any formaldehyde sheep?  We’ll have to go and see for ourselves, but it promises to be a fascinating exhibition, with or without – so move over Damien Hirst!

More details can be found on the Surface Gallery website.

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Unveiling

Date and time: Private view 6th May – (6pm to 9pm). Runs until 28th May 2011
The venue: The Crocus Gallery

Another group exhibition of the ‘multi-disciplinary’ kind is on display from 6th May at Crocus Gallery – a venue that in the year since its launch, has fast grown its reputation for creativity with genuine community spirit.

“‘Unveiling’ features a diverse range of works from photography to installation. Representations range through physical decay to emotional trauma.”

We would less easily recognise the good things in life, without the bad that we also experience from time-to-time - it may also be possible to see beauty in decay. This thought-provoking exhibition is likely to ensure we take an inward look, to help us find out.

‘Unveiling’ will run alongside the current exhibition to celebrate the Gallery’s first birthday.

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Karin Kihlberg and Reuben Henry
Consequence of Retrospect

Date and time: 7th May (Opens at 18:00) - 4th June
The venue: Trade Gallery

“Taking a selection of video artworks from the last seven years of collective practice the exhibition Karin Kihlberg & Reuben Henry -  ‘Consequence of Retrospect’; draws together a series of artworks that use cinematic devices, forms and structures as departure points for exploring relationships between the viewer and the (moving) image. ” (Descrption from the Trade Gallery website).

Opening times can be found on the website.

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Also this Saturday:

May Fest

Date and time: 7th May from 11am to 5.30pm
The venue: The University of Nottingham

This is a day of free, fun and activities for all ages and interests. The event last year was fascinating and gave a real insight into many of the great research projects in progress at the University.  It promises to be a wonderfully creative way to find out about science – through fun activities and experimentation.  So, get your ‘inquisitive’ hat on, and head down to the city centre campus this weekend.

More details can be found on The University of Nottingham website.

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Later this month we see the arrival of ‘Neat 11’ – the Nottingham European Arts and Theatre Festival – more about this one nearer the date – but if you’d like to get in early and guarantee your seats, you can now book tickets online.

Do you agree with this statement – and is it possible that being more creative gives us more reasons to be happy?

A toolkit to get everyone started on the path to ‘happiness’ has been launched this week, through a new group called ‘Action for Happiness’.  And it started me thinking, about what this really means – how it might manifest for me and for my community in Nottingham. Surely, you can’t just tell people to be happy – we’re either happy already, or not, aren’t we?

Not necessarily, maybe there is a need to look at what they have to say.

I think we’d all agree that taking on new and exciting challenges makes us happier – from the pure and simple sense of achievement and pride. And so why not set yourself some additional ‘creative’ challenges to help yourself, and others.

We know that Nottingham is a creative place, so on that basis, does this also mean that it’s a happy place too?  Making lots of money shouldn’t be your main objective, and it certainly isn’t guaranteed to make you happy – but if you begin from a sense of pride and achievement, and meet new people in the process of growing a reputation for being enthusiastic and selfless – this is a good place to start.

There are plenty of creative individuals out there in Nottingham that may hold the answers. We’d love to hear what creative actions make you and others happy, so let us hear them.

Visit the ‘Action for Happiness’ website and see if you can pick up some tips for life. Get those creative ideas buzzing!

The annual Screenlit festival at Broadway kicks off in just over a week on Sunday, 27 March.  Films, talks and a writing masterclass, you may need to get your tickets early.  Some events are free!  Details and bookings via the Screenlit page on Broadway’s website.

Fancy leading workshops for teenagers?  City Arts Nottingham in partnership with Arts Partnership Nottinghamshire (APN) and Gedling Borough Council is

seeking to employ an artist/sculptor to plan and deliver a series of participatory art workshops in the Gedling Borough area.  The project is designed to enhance the overall emotional health and well-being of young people and their families

The workshops are planned for April to July for young people aged between 13 and 17.  There is a modest amount of money involved.   Many more details, and further links, are on the Design Factory website.  The application deadline is next Monday, 21 March. 

Long time readers of this blog will be aware that we often bring news of auditions in case your creativity moves you to theatre or film.  Notably the chance to be a zombie has often featured.   On Sunday, 20 March there is another opportunity to frighten the locals – the Arts Theatre is auditioning for The Full Monty.  You have to be able to sing as well, so make sure you understand all the requirements.  Full disclosure: I won’t be making a full disclosure.

That is as funny as you get from me today. Enjoy, Nottingham!

Nottingham of today continues to develop this reputation, and non-more so than through the homegrown actor/producer talents of Daniel Hoffmann-Gill.

To see him, many of you would probably recognise Dan from TV.  He has appeared on countless commercials, worked on projects for the BBC, done theatre and more recent feature films.

Most exciting is his new play – ‘Our Style is Legendary’ – written to depict the coming of age experiences of two friends who became brothers and the humour of life growing-up in 1980s Nottingham.

It sees its premier on stage at the Tristan Bates Theatre in London on 14th March 2011. Its tongue-in-cheek title will escape many, but I think provides a little insight into the kind of ‘real’ Nottingham humour we can expect to see threaded throughout this masterpiece. (Graphic poster shown left, provided courtesy of DHG).

Excited about the prospect of a play about Nottingham, I caught up with Dan to ask him a few questions about his latest creation. 

What gave you the inspiration to write a play about growing up in Nottingham? My best friend died when he was 16, we were the same age and it struck me at the time that he wouldn’t be remembered and I wanted to tell our story to anyone that would listen. That was nearly 20 years ago so it’s took a while to get it out of me but Michael is the inspiration.

Did you have specific actors in mind to play each character, as you were writing it?  No, because I’ve been writing it for a long time but when I knew it was happening, which was about 12 months ago, I really wanted to see James Hooton involved as The Swinging Man, the only adult in the whole show, who is a personification of Nottingham. Thankfully he said yes when we asked him, although he insisted we audition him to make sure he was right and he was. When I heard him read the part it made me cry.

What was your earliest memory of Nottingham?  I was born here, City Hospital! And proud of it. Earliest memory of Notts is how steep all the roads were between Porchester Road and Westdale Lane, as a small boy they were like Everest. Brilliant in the snow, in a treacherous way.

What do you think makes Nottingham so special to the people that live here?  The East Midlands as a whole is pretty unique and Nottingham is the capital of that uniqueness. It’s what I’ve said in the play, it’s not North, not South but all Notts. Our unique identity, accent and phrasing makes us proud I reckon.

What do you think makes Nott’m folk different from people elsewhere?  Not sure how different we are but I suppose we’re very friendly and open but on the other hand we can be very sarcastic and guarded, a real mix of typical Northern and Southern qualities means we get the best of both. I also reckon our economy shaped us, a mix of pits and manufacturing and service and big industry. Also we’re pretty big for our boots for a provincial city.

How do you think Nott’m of the 80s - depicted in your play – differs from the city of today?  Massively, poverty was a large problem and the city was coming to terms with the rise of the yuppie and this gaping void between haves and have-nots. Also, although I’m proud of Nottingham’s ethnic minority history, it’s far more diverse now than it was then. Some things change, some things stay the same and I think many of the themes are relevant now, young men still like to do the same stuff then as they do now.

Are the characters in your new play based on real ’proper Nottm’ folk you knew as a boy?  Yep, all the characters are true, real people, some of the dialogue is verbatim as I can remember it, everything that you see as the spectator actually happened and the names have not been changed to protect the innocent. I know that when some folk come and see it they’ll be shocked by it’s honestly and truth.

What sums up the Nott’m personality through your characters?  A sense of humour, a sense of fun but a darkness there, a willingness to use violence if required. We’re a hard people.

Are you proud to tell people in the world of TV and Hollywood that you’re a Nott’m boy?  Yes, I wear my Nottingham-ness like a badge of honour, it’s unique, part of me and I never hide it, I find it useful; most people have a connection with Notts.

What response do you receive when you say you grew up in Nott’m?  If they know the city they ask me where and when I say St. Ann’s their eye brows go up and they usually say summat about it being rough. If they don’t know the place, most people mention Robin Hood or the myth that we’ve got lots of gun crime, that kind of thing. Someone needs to get marketing Nottingham better, hopefully my play will do a better job.

Being now a successful actor-type, you live and work around the globe – do you think Nottingham has a good reputation for being a creative city these days?  I had to leave Nottingham to take my career to the next level, sad but true and I’ve been in exile for 6 years or so and that means I can’t really answer that question. I think there are a lot of creative people there, obviously, I think our city makes creative people, just that I think they go to London, you have to, it’s where everything is. Wish it wasn’t that way.

Do you plan to bring the show up north, to face a Nott’m audience? What reaction do you think you would receive?  I’d love to bring Our Style is Legendary home, I think Nottingham folk would love it, we need a show like this that shows the reality of it without mentioning Robin Hood or any of the other easy tag lines. It should be on at the Playhouse so if people can nag Giles Croft to put a show on by Notts, about Notts featuring all Notts actors that would be much appreciated. We’d bring the roof down. Literally.

Let’s hope Dan’s wishes come true – and we all get to see this on stage in Nottingham too!

Our Style is Legendary
Tristan Bates Theatre, London
From 14^th March 2011 @7.30pm
Tickets cost from £10 to £14 and are available from the website: www.tristanbatestheatre.co.uk

Meanwhile, you only have until this Sunday to take a look at British Art Show 7 at the Nottingham Contemporary, which has enjoyed a similarly ravesome write-up from Creative Times. If you want to see Christian Marclay’s mesmerising The Clock, as described by our recent guest blogger, New Art Exchange Director, Skinder Hundal, however, you only have until Saturday! Time is running out.