New Art Exchange building exterior

For the next instalment of Meet in Nottingham’s ‘Hear from the experts’ blog series, we connected with Joshan Gangotra, front of house manager at New Art Exchange. Continue reading to discover more about his pivotal role within the venue, the available spaces for corporate bookings, and the team’s efforts to maintain sustainable and eco-friendly events.

What is the maximum capacity for an event or conference at New Art Exchange?

The space allocation for each event is flexible to suit your needs. For a smaller meeting we can provide our meeting room which holds up to 12 people, but if the event booker is looking for something larger, then we can offer our Learning Room which holds up to 50 delegates or our Performance Space with a capacity of 90. Alternatively, if you’re looking to hold a conference or event outside of our normal opening hours then we can use our Café Bar which holds a capacity of 90 delegates’.

What are the sustainability and environmental benefits of holding a conference or event at New Art Exchange?

‘New Art Exchange holds sustainability at the core of its practice. We are a fully plant-based catering supplier, therefore all catering, which includes food, snacks, beverages, and milk options provided, are completely plant-based. Additionally, on the first & third Thursday of each month we hold Community Café – a two course plant-based meal in the NAE café bar, where you pay only what you can afford’.

What does the rest of 2024 look like for the venue, and do you have any event predictions?

‘2024 marks a thrilling period for NAE, with the imminent debut of our updated Café menu and the recent unveiling of our newest exhibition ‘In Praise of Beauty’ a thought-provoking major new exhibition from acclaimed artist Adébayo Bolaji. This year presents an ideal opportunity to engage with NAE, as we offer a diverse array of regular free creative programs and workshops’. Visit our website for regular updates on these.

Has New Art Exchange won any awards or accreditations?

‘New Art Exchange has garnered recognition with five prestigious architectural and design accolades, including the RIBA National Award, the RIBA East Midlands Award, The Lord Mayor’s Awards for Urban Design – New Build and Overall Award, as well as the National Civic Trust Award. In 2011, our young people’s programme YARD (Youth Arts Research Development) was awarded one of three UK places in the International young people’s theatre festival Contacting the World’.

How long have you been in your position, and could you describe a typical day working as a front of house manager at this venue?

‘I have been the Front of House Manager for 11 months now, overseeing tasks such as email correspondence, setting up and clearing spaces for events or conference bookings, as well as supporting and managing the Front of House team to ensure the optimal efficiency throughout the venue’.

To book your next conference or event at New Art Exchange, contact our team via email at enquiries@visit-nottinghamshire.co.uk, call us on 0115 962 8320, or visit our website to enquire about their spaces and availability.

This photo shows New Art Exchange from the outside, a large dark coloured building with multiple square shaped windows allowing natural light to pass through