NEW What’s On Guide for September – December 2022 has launched

There’s something for everyone to be inspired to read, learn, and enjoy culture this Autumn! The Poetry Festival makes its annual appearance, now in even more venues and offering readings, workshops, exhibitions, and special events. Join us in all corners of the county from Worksop and Retford to West Bridgford and Beeston – as well it’s original home of Southwell Library. Mansfield is home to a headline event this year, so do join us in this annual celebration of words. Plus, the Paper Crane Poets collective will be giving a special performance at this year’s AGM at Beeston Library and online.

Thanks to our funding from Arts Council England as a National Portfolio Organisation, children and families can go on Adventures in Music, choose their own adventures, bring puppets to life in Puppet Play workshops, enjoy family theatre performances of Grandad Anansi by Elayne Ogbeta, and get their toes tapping at our Jumpin’ Jazz family concerts. Plus, we are delighted to host the annual Fun Palaces events in Worksop, Mansfield Central and Newark Libraries – a free nationwide celebration of culture and community.

The heritage season brings talks on Raleigh, cricket, old maps, football, and even pantomime (oh yes, it is!). Join us for Heritage Open Days week and have a behind the scenes peek at Nottinghamshire Archives or come along to a Heritage Café. Also at Nottinghamshire Archives we will be exhibiting Chinese and British in collaboration with The British Library, as members of the Living Knowledge Network.

We’ve got our regular Jazz Steps season in Worksop, Southwell, West Bridgford and Beeston Libraries. Jazz fans can enjoy live music from the Billy Pod Quartet, Sam Jesson’s Magpie Trio, Martin Speake Quartet and The Wendy Kirkland Quartet.

Readers will love our adults and children’s author events. West Bridgford and Beeston Libraries welcome award-winning author Alan MacDonald in November, author of the Dirty Bertie series, and Mansfield Central and Worksop Libraries will be hosting some barking-mad storytelling with The Great Dog Bottom Swap with Mei Matsuoka. Adults can enjoy talks from bestselling authors Beth Moran, Milly Johnson, and Cathy Bramley, and explore a unique series of beautiful illustrations exploring the experience of reading at the I Am A Reader Exhibition.

We’ve got family, dementia friendly and supportive film screenings for fans of the big screen. We will be honouring the late Olivia Newton John with our Dementia-Friendly film screening of Grease, and getting in the festive spirit with White Christmas and The Nightmare Before Christmas. Families can explore making moving images in the Small World Cinema creative film session at Worksop Library.

Plus, many more events for the whole family! Browse the What’s On brochure online.

Tickets for events can be booked online, in person at your local library or by calling 01623 677 200. We look forward to welcoming you this Autumn!