At a public meeting in 1977, the seeds were sown for a new organisation that would eventually become City Arts. In the months that followed, Nottingham Community Arts & Crafts Centre was established in Hyson Green, at the site now occupied by New Art Exchange. The volunteer-led organisation aimed to offer local artists and craftspeople the facilities to earn a living from their work.
The Centre quickly evolved, working with members of the local community on projects including puppetry, street theatre, playschemes and murals. It was known for its screen-printing facilities and photography darkroom. Nottingham Community Arts & Crafts Centre became Nottingham Community Arts, sometimes known as NCA. In the early 2000’s the name changed to City Arts.
Since the mid-1980’s, the organisation had been supporting pioneering South Asian arts organisation APNA and African Caribbean arts organisation EMACA. It invited them to take an equal stake in the Hyson Green building, which became The Art Exchange. City Arts left when the two merged to become New Art Exchange. After a few years based in Radford, from 2015 to 2026 the organisation operated an art centre at 11-13 Hockley in Nottingham City Centre.
Since March 2026, City Arts offices have been based out of BACKLIT. As Nottingham’s leading community arts organisation, it impacts thousands of lives in the city, the country and overseas.
This is a distilled version of our history. Do you know more about Nottingham Community Arts or City Arts? We’d love to hear from you!