The Carousel

THE CAROUSEL is a COMMUNITY BUILDING we've been BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER SINCE 2019 ~ CREATIVITY is how we build COMMUNITY ~ "I've been here since day one creating, building and cultivating The Carousel alongside @mr.ray___ The creative community of The Carousel has encouraged and supported me to develop my own curatorial practise - I've co-ordinated lots of ambitious, crazy projects because of the foundation The Carousel has provided me with... My latest project is @artfestnottingham and this year The Carousel will be a venue for the visual art festival. I work from The Carousel 5/6 days a week because I want to be around inspiring creatives and it provides me with a structure to my freelance routine, I'd be lost without it!" Benjamin Kay, Co-Director, The Carousel Curator & Creative Project Manager SHARE YOUR MEMORIES of THE CAROUSEL with US! ~ JOIN OUR COMMUNITY from £31.50 per month TASTER DAYS every WEDNESDAY 09:00 - 17:00 BOOKABLE HERE / OUR WEBSITE https://calendar.app.google/Nu8RB2BQz2TYq4jbA

Here to prove that a documentary can be every bit as funny and exciting as fiction - if not more! We're back at @the___carousel on Tuesday June 2nd for the Chilean documentary THE MOLE AGENT! When a family suspects their mother isn't being looked after properly in her nursing home, 83 year old Sergio is hired to go undercover, pretending to be a resident in the home to find out the truth. As Sergio struggles to embrace the deception of a spy and gets closer to the residents of the home, he discovers what's really going on in this touching, beautiful, funny and ridiculous true story. If you ever wanted to see a fascinating documentary which is shot like a 1930s detective noir and uncovers the humour and humanity of everyday people, this is the film for you. Tickets are all pay what you feel, and link is in the bio!

The fantastic full line up for The Carousel (NG1 1FH) will have a stacked line up of electronic innovations, experimental sounds, genre fusions and bleep bloop blends The ticket link is now live! For the rest of May early bird is just £10 for all 3 stages and 16 artists filling the packed line up for Slur Fest (June 20th) #nottinghamfestival #slurfest #transpridenotts #nottinghamtranspride #transmusician

TAG YOURSELF IF YOU WANT TO JOIN US! TAG YOUR MATE IF YOU THINK THEY SHOULD JOIN US! Carousel Tapes is a new two-year talent development and live music programme based at The Carousel in Nottingham. Supported through Arts Council England’s Supporting Grassroots Music fund, the project has been created to strengthen Nottingham’s grassroots music scene by supporting both emerging artists and the next generation of live music creative producers. Across two years, The Carousel Tapes will deliver six professionally produced live showcase events featuring emerging grassroots artists and bands from across Nottingham’s music community. Alongside the live events, the programme will provide structured training and real-world experience for up to 30 early-career creatives interested in areas such as live sound, lighting, photography, videography, promotion, event production and artist liaison. Each programme cycle combines: A specialist-led training day A supported development period working alongside real live events at The Carousel Paid opportunities working on showcase event days Professional documentation and live recordings The project is designed to create clearer pathways into paid work within grassroots music by moving beyond unpaid volunteering models and giving participants practical experience, mentorship and professional credits. The Carousel Tapes will also create a growing archive of Nottingham live music through professionally captured audio, photography and video documentation, helping support artist development while celebrating the city’s grassroots music culture. The programme focuses on emerging and grassroots artists across a wide range of genres including indie, hip hop, electronic music, jazz, soul, rock, experimental and diasporic music scenes. #TheCarouselTapes #NottinghamMusic #GrassrootsMusic #EmergingArtists #artscouncilengland

Finding the best co working spots In Nottingham #nottingham #notts #coworking @the___carousel

Monarchy Madness is back and all about the boys! A night celebrating drag kings and trans masc performers! Ticket link in bio Get your tickets whilst they're hot! #drag #dragshow #dragcabaret

Babak Esmaeli: REACTION Launching this Friday 7pm Residency and Solo Exhibition at The Carousel Nottingham, UK — May 2026 Curated by Martin Rayment The Carousel is proud to present a new solo exhibition by Iranian artist Babak Esmaeli, developed during his residency at the organisation. This powerful body of work offers a deeply personal reflection on Iran’s recent and historical events, seen through the lens of distance, memory, and lived experience. Originally from a small town in the south of Iran, Babak Esmaeli has been driven by a passion for creating since childhood. After studying graphic design, he forged a professional path as a cartoonist and illustrator. Now based in Nottingham for the past three years, his practice blends visual storytelling with political and emotional REACTION. He expresses his interpretation of his life in the Iranian regime at a distance without fear of execution. Both here and in Iran: his work inspires resistance, unity and REACTION. The current series explores the impact of events in Iran over the past forty-seven years. Through expressive, illustrative works, Babak captures how these moments are processed internally, particularly from the perspective of someone who, for many years, was unable to speak freely, and who now observes the situation from afar. The result is a poignant and thought-provoking collection that navigates themes of silence, displacement, and reflection. We encourage dialogue and reaction to continue the conversation beyond this exhibition. Exhibition Details Opening Night: Friday 1st May, 7pm – late Public Viewing: Every Saturday in May, 11am – 4pm Additional Visits: By appointment The exhibition will take place at The Carousel, Nottingham’s creative and cultural community hub, supporting artists through residencies, exhibitions, and collaborative opportunities. Email & Contact  Follow the artist and venue for updates: Instagram: @art.babak Email: [email protected] Instagram: @the___Carousel Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]

Shared Plates Food & Art Festival 25 April 2026 | 12:00–19:00 @new_art_exchange ~ A BIG thanks to @serge.shop for making our tea towels in @the___carousel today! Artwork by @zena.kay will be printed by @pink___menace + YOU! From 12:00 - 16:00 ❤️ 🖨️

So excited for this! It'll be amazing to walk and talk about the idea of 'public' and 'home', if you would like to join in and learn how to create your own cyanotype artwork then book now-limited places! Cyanotype, or sun printing is a process somewhere between photography and printmaking and uses sunlight to create images. We will be creating a collaborative map based on our experiences on the walk and also artworks to take home with you. No experience needed, all materials included. The walk will be as accessible as public space is. It is free to attend (£5 returnable deposit when booking) and tea and coffee included! to book #art #walk #3rdspace #cyanotype #philosophy

More stages announced! So stoked to say The Carousel, illustrious arts venue in Hockley, is one of our partner venues for Slur Fest (June 20th) They will be hosting our electronic musicians - expect local and national artists of experimental sounds and extreme visuals. This line up is full of genre boundary pushers and adventurers of the niche. Entry to all stages, all day (2-11pm) at Slur Fest is only a tenner! See old favourites and become a new fan, choose your own adventure in this fully stacked line- up… AND THERES STILL ONE MORE STAGE TO ANNOUNCE! #nottinghamtranspride #transpridenotts #slurfest #dayfestival #nottinghamfestival

Yesterday I decided to do something different at Collage and Cocktails and have a playful competition- an Easter Bonnet Parade! Big thanks to everyone for joining in with my whimsy, it's always a joy to work these events but this was a particular highlight! Join me and @messy_brain_events every wednesday for something fun, relaxed and creative at @the___carousel #easterbonnetparade #collageandcocktails #nottingham

So pleased to announce a major project I've been working towards, collaborating with powerhouse grassroots venues and DIY artists! Slur Fest is a multi genre, multi venue, day festival! With 3 stage backed to the roof with 16 artist on the line-up I'll be drip feeding the stellar talent involved over the coming weeks 👀 though a sneaky preview is available on our ticket page which is now LIVE Graphics by the wonderful and talented @pink___menace