Known across the globe as the home of Robin Hood, there’s a lot more to the city of Nottingham than a little Medieval mayhem.

For some reason, Nottingham’s creative scene sometimes gets overlooked on a national level, but with designers like the legendary Paul Smith, innovative chefs like Sat Bains, and musicians like Jake Bugg and the Sleaford Mods, putting the city on the map, it’s clear that this is a diverse and engaging city to be a part of.

Just recently comedian and actor Stephen Mangan tweeted that the city was a ‘Cultural Powerhouse’ after many of the city’s industries, universities and robin hood impersonators decamped to Parliament for a bumper day of promotion and awareness raising, as they shouted loud and proud about what Nottingham has to offer on a national level.

It’s often said that Nottingham doesn’t shout loudly enough about what it has to offer, but I get the feeling that that’s really beginning to change, and that the city is on the rise, and becoming much more confident in its own skin.

I’ve lived in Nottingham for a little over a year now, and the city’s really impressed me – the Creative Quarter in particular feels like a great place to live and run a business.

There are a lot of fantastic facilities, like the creative hub Antenna – where you can grab a coffee, or go along to workshops and events, and there seems to be a tight nit community of local businesses and entrepreneurs present.

With everything from independent cinemas like Broadway, to festivals like Hockley Hustle, there’s always something quirky and interesting happening in the Hockley area. It’s also hard to beat the amazing 200 Degrees cafe when you need to get out of the office, or studio, and get down to some work with the perfect cappuccino.

From a musical perspective, there are some fantastic venues like Rock City and Rescue Rooms, and there’s always live music to watch in small independents and pubs. It’s also a new UNESCO City of Literature, and rebel writers like Lawrence and Byron give the area an outlaw edge.

With local musicians and producers here churning out great music all around the city, GBM Music is proud to be a part of the diverse and exciting creative scene here in Nottingham.