Public Artwork by Bahbak Hashemi-Nezhad and Lenton Residents
Crocus Café, 18 Lenton Boulevard, NG7 2ES

We’re pleased to announce the relaunch of Lentonness at the Crocus Café . Lentonness is a public artwork that features definitions of Lenton gathered from local residents: a growing list of experiences, observations and characteristics of the neighbourhood.

The artwork launched in 2019 and was designed to keep on evolving – with new definitions added to the original responses, and the sign touring to different local venues.

Crocus Café is Nottingham’s oldest community café. It’s not-for-profit, affordable, vegetarian and vegan with a focus on being fair trade and locally sourced. The café is currently closed, but you can walk past at any time to view the artwork. Look out for updates when the café can reopen.

Photo: Reece Straw

As part of Making Place, Bahbak Hashemi-Nezhad ran workshops with Lenton residents, sharing stories, images, and myths about the local area. Through this process, the group distilled a question to ask the wider public in the area: "What is Lentonness?"

The responses gathered so far featured in a public artwork taking the form of an LED sign, that was displayed on the side of the Savoy Cinema from 2019–2020.  The different definitions give a rich picture of the many things that Lenton means to local people – from long-term residents, elders and children, to new communities and students – at a time when the neighbourhood has undergone significant changes. They offer snapshots of place, memories, humour, poetry, loss and hope.

Lentonness was commissioned by Primary as part of the Making Place programme, and was produced in partnership with Near Now, Broadway’s studio for arts, design and innovation, supported using public funding by the Arts Council England. The project was supported by Near Neighbours and the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.

Photo: Reece Straw