What's On
Lullaby Bank - Stapleford Library
The Lullaby Bank is your chance to relax and bond with your baby in a calm space.
Published 11th March 2026
Your spring What’s On Guide for April – July 2026 has arrived! Pick up a copy from your local library or Nottinghamshire Archives from 16 March, or view and download online.
Happy 10th Birthday to Inspire!
This What’s On Guide begins on an exciting date as 1 April 2026 officially marks 10 years since Inspire was established. You’ll find opportunities to celebrate with us throughout this guide, plus many more to come throughout the year.
It feels right that our tenth anniversary falls on the same year as The National Year of Reading, which is in full swing! Go All In with what you already love with our author visits - whether that’s crime fiction, romantasy, or the summer of sport. Plus, you’ll soon have the opportunity to vote for Inspire’s Favourite Reads.
It comes around so quickly but it’s time for the annual Summer Reading Challenge! This year’s theme Read to the Beat invites children to explore how music and storytelling unite. Artist Sian Watson and author Ashley Thorpe have been selected as Inspire’s 2026 Artist and Author In Residence to co-create the Offbeat exhibition and workshops inspired by the Summer Reading Challenge theme.
Hands On Heritage Day returns to Mansfield Central Library in May, bringing fun and free heritage activities for all the family. For fans of a popular television show, Nottinghamshire Archives have a new event that invites you to catch a secret a secret traitor as you become a Spy at the Archives, delving into the history of Nottingham in the Second World War.
Nottinghamshire Archives will also host a new interactive exhibition, Our Story, a collaborative heritage project uncovering trans and gender-diverse lives in Nottinghamshire. This project is led by Fifth Word in partnership with Nottinghamshire Archives and supported by Mansfield Museum, My Place Youth Centre, and Loughborough University.
Inspire Youth Arts will showcase some of the best up-and-coming young talent from across the county. Enjoy an evening of live dance at Catapult Dance Festival, or kick-start your summer with a day of great music at Next Up.
This is just a small overview of some of the events we’ve got planned in our birthday year, so do pick up a copy of the guide or browse online to find out what’s on near you – including live music and dance, events for children and families, activities for under 5s, exhibitions, film screenings, and much more!
We look forward to welcoming you soon.
