Nestled within the University of Nottingham’s picturesque University Park campus, Lakeside Arts offers an eclectic mix of exhibitions, performances, and workshops for all ages. Here's your guide to the must-see and do events this summer.
🎨 Explore the Material Worlds Exhibition
Material Worlds is an ambitious, free, group exhibition exploring how contemporary artists are using textiles in surprising and radical ways. Often incorporated as part of a wider artistic practice, the everyday, intimate and accessible quality of textiles is used to create works that are theatrical, bold, unsettling and humorous. The familiar, material stuff of ordinary life is transformed into the unexpected – the ordinary made extraordinary – to explore ideas of the body, identity, gender, race, heritage, myth and folklore.
Open: 17 May to 31 August.
Tuesday – Saturday 10am-4pm, Sunday 12 noon – 4pm
🎥 Outdoor Cinema – Broadway at Lakeside
Enjoy an outdoor cinema screening of an iconic film in the beautiful surroundings of Lakeside Arts, presented by Broadway. The lineup includes:
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- Summer of Soul (August 22)
- Buena Vista Social Club (August 23)
- The Boy and the Heron (August 29)
- A Complete Unknown (August 30)
These screenings offer a delightful cinematic experience under the stars.
👨👩👧👦 Family-Friendly Workshops & Activities
Lakeside Arts offers a plethora of activities designed for families:
Summer Family Workshops (August 2–30): Engage in free, drop-in sessions inspired by the Material Worlds exhibition. These workshops are suitable for children aged 5 and above, exploring the endless possibilities of textiles – experimenting with textures, patterns, and bold, beautiful colours. Bring the whole family to create, play, and be inspired! Summer Family Workshops – Lakeside Arts, Nottingham
Puppet Play in a Week (August 4–8): Children aged 8 and above can join award-winning puppetry company Half a String for an exciting week-long workshop, culminating in a performance that showcases their creations. Puppet Play in a Week – Lakeside Arts, Nottingham
📖 Delve into some local history
See the Norton Disney Dodecahedron In the summer of 2023 a small amateur archaeological group from Norton Disney, Lincolnshire, found a rare and very fine example of a Gallo Roman dodecahedron. This free exhibition looks at the last two years of their excavations and the current understanding of dodecahedron.
Open: Thursday-Sunday, 12noon-4pm
The Norton Disney Dodecahedron – Lakeside Arts, Nottingham
Country Lives: Exploring the English Countryside from 1800 – Come to the countryside! Discover how the countryside has been used and depicted over the last 200 years. From idyllic and picturesque scenes to the realities of rural lives and communities, this exhibition explores varied themes including work, leisure, health and access to the countryside.
Open: Tuesday-Sunday, 12noon-4pm
Whether you’re an art aficionado, a family seeking creative activities, or someone looking to enjoy a film under the stars, Lakeside Arts has something special for you this summer!
