Stories & Features

LUSTRE 2024 APPLICATION 

Join us as Lustre returns for 2024, applications are now open.  

LUSTRE: MEET THE MAKERS 

As Lustre returns with 50 of today's top designer-makers and craft artists from around the country - find out a little more about each one. 

BEN HOWARTH APPOINTED AS CEO

We’re delighted to announce that former Director of Business Transformation at the Tate, Ben Howarth, will join the University of Nottingham as Lakeside Arts’ new CEO on 11 September.

TALKING TREES 树说/述说

Talking Trees / 树说/述说 involves a living archive of stories to be listened to at trees around campus.

GALLERY CHALLENGES: RHYTHM & GEOMETRY

Come and explore our exhibition with these family-friendly challenges! 

AN UPLIFTING PERFORMANCE FROM THE UNIVERSITY CHOIR 

Student Sophie Mitchell writes a highly praiseful review of the University Choir's most recent perfomance.

32 YEARS OF THE ORLANDO CONSORT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM

As they approach their final UK performance, we reflect on a longstanding relationship between the Orlandos and the University. 

SOPHIE RYDER: MATERIALS AND TEXTURES 

Find out what materials are used in the Sophie Ryder exhibition, and how she makes such interesting sculptures! 

NOTTINGHAM YEAR OF STORIES

In celebration of the upcoming opening of the new Central Library, Nottingham is celebrating stories! Find out more about Year of Stories events.

LUSTRE 2023 APPLICATION

Applications for Lustre 2023 are now open, apply now online.

Artist in Residence: Seckou Keita

We are proud to announce that Seckou Keita will be an artist-in-residence at Lakeside Arts

CHINESE NEW YEAR 2023

In celebration of Chinese New Year and the year of the rabbit, Lakeside will be hosting several events.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2022

As we celebrate Black history month, see what events Lakeside has on.

INTERVIEW: THE COSTUMES OF TIN MAN

Lakeside Arts spoke with Eleanor Bull, costume designer for Joss Arnott Dance's upcoming show Tin Man, about bringing the show to life through its wonderful costumes.

LAKESIDE ARTS JOINS THE NATION IN MOURNING

Lakeside Arts, as part of the University of Nottingham community, joins the Royal Family and the nation in mourning the loss of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

MEET THE MAKERS- LUSTRE 2022

Take a peek at the hand-selected makers of our full-sized Lustre 2022, with makers in jewellery, textiles, ceramics and more. 

KIDS TAKEOVER: SOUND EXPERIMENTS

Following on from our Soundscape Summer School, check out these spectacular sound experiments to try at home!

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HELP DESIGN A BRAND NEW DARKFIELD SHOW

Families are invited to this free workshop to help develop a show with the nationally renowned DARKFIELD.

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A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM: DIRECTOR'S COMMENTS

A Midsummer Night's Dream director, Martin Berry, discusses this magical outdoor production.

DNA: DIRECTOR'S COMMENTS

We asked co-production DNA director Nic Harvey about his time working on DNA and his career in theatre.

TAKE CARE

Take Care is based on Professor Justine Schneider’s research into dementia home care and follows the working life of Katie, a young carer for older people living with dementia.

HOLOCAUST: UNTOLD HISTORIES 

Join Professor Maiken Umbach in discussion with Dr Anna Hájková about the experiences of those engaged in same sex relationships under the Nazi regime.

HOME: ZERO

We invite families with children to take centre stage in re-imagining a climate-safe future.

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LUSTRE 2022 APPLICATIONS OPEN

Apply now for this premier annual selling opportunity for contemporary, innovative craft in the midlands.

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CHINESE NEW YEAR 2022

Find out about how we are welcoming you to celebrate Chinese New Year at Lakeside Arts.

BREAKING THE MOULD - REFLECTIONS

We invited four University of Nottingham students to talk with us about their experience of the exhibition.

BREAKING THE MOULD - WOMEN IN FOCUS

Following the opening of our Breaking the Mould exhibition, we are delighted to focus on some of the phenomenal women sculptors who’s work feature in the exhibition.

MEET THE MAKERS OF A LITTLE LUSTRE

We are so excited to welcome you back to Lustre this year, in a smaller and safe setting. Meet our makers we have coming to Lakeside Arts this year.

MEET ALICE

We are delighted to welcome Alice Walker to the Lakeside Arts team as our Creative Pathways Intern for the next six months. Find out about her job, her interests, and what she gets up to in her free time.

ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT – THINGAMABOBAS

This September, Lakeside Arts, the University of Nottingham’s public art programme, began an exciting new partnership with Djanogly Strelley Academy. 

EULOGY PRE CHECK-IN

If your idea of visiting the theatre involves sitting in a large auditorium and watching a performance on stage, prepare to have your expectations blown away as Darkfield's EULOGY places you at the centre of the intense narrative.

CREATIVE PATHWAYS GRADUATION

The Creative Pathways Graduate Internship programme is designed to connect promising University of Nottingham graduates, driven to pursue careers in the Arts, with one of seven Nottingham organisations. Here Emily Bicknell talks about her experience as an intern.

FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE AND HEALTH AT HOME

Dr Jonathan Memel explores how young Nightingale’s charitable visits to working-class cottages inspired her longstanding mission to improve the living conditions of working people in Britain. 

UCAN UK MUSIC

Enjoy music from a dynamic and growing network that includes over 30 university arts centres and arts programmes from across the UK

CULTURE RECOVERY FUND SUPPORT

Lakeside Arts is one of 1,385 cultural and creative organisations across the country receiving urgently needed support. 

SIT WITH US FOR A MOMENT AND REMEMBER

Inspired by our beautiful parkland environment and images held in the University's archives, Sit with us for a Moment and Remember is an immersive narrative, reflecting on different views and how landscape changes over time and through the seasons.

DIVERSITY FESTIVAL 2021

The festival's focus was on  ‘embracing and celebrating difference’  with more than 20 complementary keynote and local virtual events open to staff, students and alumni.

IN CONVERSATION WITH PROFESSOR GREGORY WOODS

To celebrate the University of Nottingham's LGBT+ History Month, Emeritus Professor Gregory Woods joins Head of Visual Arts at Lakeside for a live streamed conversation.

CHINESE ZODIAC STORIES

There are several legends about how the animals were chosen for the Chinese zodiac. This is one of them.

MAT COLLISHAW: BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

We go behind closed doors with Nottingham-born artist Mat Collishaw to introduce you to his ambitious collection of works.

MEET EMILY

Meet Emily Bicknell, our 2020/21 Creative Pathways Intern. Find out about her, her hobbies, and what she's been up to.

MUSEUM OUTING EXHIBITION

While the doors to galleries and museums are closed, we wanted to bring an exhibition to you to celebrate LGBT+ History during the month of February. 

MUSEUM OUTING 

To mark LGBT+ History Month at the University we want to hear your stories about museum exhibits, photographs or artworks related to an LGBT+ story or issues that have a special meaning for you. These will be selected to curate a virtual exhibition on our website.

THE GIFT OF GIVING

This season, shop the extraordinary, not the ordinary.

MAURICE ROËVES

Maurice Roëves sadly passed away Tuesday 14 July 2020. He had been performing at Lakeside Arts since 2006. Let's recall his time together.

MELA FESTIVAL 2020

This year's Nottingham Arts Mela Festival, the UK's oldest Mela festival, is going digital and its called Climate, Changes... where Mela seeks a new braver truth to save our planet, its life and nature. 

BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2020 CALL OUT

Our colleagues at Serendipity, Leicester, were unfortunately unable to deliver their 2020 Let's Dance International Frontiers live this year, but  they created an alternative online version of the event instead.

PRIDE MONTH 2020

Here we showcase LGBTQIA+ stories and objects from our collection and archives! Join us for this read to celebrate Pride – contributed by Neil Walker.

NOTTSTOPPING: A LOOK BACK

With over 220 events and 300+ hours of entertainment, there was something for everyone to enjoy. We are re-living the festival buzz by sharing moments of this wonderfully energetic and spirited festival with you – join us for the fun.

LUCY'S INTERNING EXPERIENCE

Meet Lucy, the Creative Pathways Intern for Lakeside Arts 2019-20, and find out what she's been up to at Lakeside.

EARTH DAY 2020

2020 marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, a movement created to celebrate the wonders of the Earth and to remind everybody to treat the planet with kindness and gratitude. Here, we look at productions, concerts and exhibitions related to Lakeside’s past and future programme that demonstrate how art and the natural environment are closely intertwined.

OUT OF STORE: LAURA KNIGHT

Whilst working from my kitchen table, with the Djanogly Gallery closed for the foreseeable future, I thought what better time to bring to light some of the art works in the University’s collection. The most celebrated of the women artists in the university’s collection has to be Nottingham’s own Laura Knight.

WITHIN THIS DUST

The infamous images captured by Richard Drew showing a man falling from the World Trade Centre on 11 September 2001 persist to be poignant and provocative symbols of what happened that day. 

CREATIVE PATHWAYS INTERNSHIPS

As part of our commitment to increase student engagement, Lakeside Arts is leading the UK’s only city-wide cultural internships programme. With support from the University of Nottingham and the Office for Students, we’re offering seven graduates the chance to gain paid training in the following organisations: Lakeside Arts, City Arts, Dance4, Nottingham Contemporary, Nonsuch, Nottingham Playhouse and Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature.

RE-FRAMING DANCE: CALL OUT FOR PRODUCERS

Dance4 and Nottingham’s museums and visual arts sector are seeking three independent producers, within the first 10 years of their practice as a producer.

BEETHOVEN 250

You’ve heard Beethoven’s name and music, but uncover the secrets behind the composer and listen to some of his compositions in ways you’ve never done so before.

VOICE NOTES FROM THE GALLERY

University of Nottingham students Kate Foulds and Chloe Austin let us listen in to their discussions about the Homage the Bauhaus exhibition

HOMAGE TO THE BAUHAUS: THE NEXT 100 YEARS 

Find out more about the Homage to the Bauhaus exhibition with Manisha Bhogal.