Featured Articles
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Preparatory works have now begun for the development of the new Crown Works Studios on the banks of the River Wear. The plans were initially granted approval back in May 2024, with Sunderland City Council describing the project as a “once in a generation development.” Diggers have now begun to clear the land on the […]
Sunderland Restaurant Week is running until Sunday (March 23), featuring over 50 restaurants offering exclusive vouchers. Organised by Sunderland BID, the event showcases a variety of local and international cuisines. Visit the Sunderland BID website to get your vouchers and enjoy great deals! Jiarui Liang went along to get a taste of proceedings.
March 12 was National Plant a Flower Day and, to celebrate, a gardening and planting event was held at A Space 2 Grow, by the Sunderland University sustainability team. A Space 2 Grow is a community garden run and maintained by volunteers, and there are regular sessions at weekends. Kyoka Omori, from Spark, went along […]
This weekend was the last time the National Glass Centre would open on a Sunday, as it prepared for closure in 2026. Yibin Wang went along to find out what visitors to the Centre think.
Thousands of small businesses across the country will have more opportunities to win valuable contracts with public sector organisations, supporting local economic growth and innovation under a new government plan. Under the National Procurement Policy, complicated government buying processes will be simplified to make it easier for small businesses to create more jobs. The idea […]
As more than 500 crime fiction fans descended on the Playhouse, Whitley Bay for Bay Tales 2025, Spark‘s Eleanor Tait spoke to award-winning author of the Vera and Shetland book series, Ann Cleeves, about the writer she’s supporting at this year’s festival.

Glass making events taking place in Sunderland have been providing a ‘unique’ experience for children. The National Glass Centre (NGC) in Sunderland has been hosting “Animal Sandcasting” events over the last few months. Children aged five and over are taught how to use sandcasting techniques with hot glass to make animals such as a hedgehog […]
Glastonbury has unveiled its initial lineup, and among the star-studded names is South Shields’ very ownown JADE, performing alongside headliners such as The 1975, Olivia Rodrigo, RAYE, and Charli XCX. The announcement comes just days after JADE’s big win at the BRIT Awards. Former Little Mix member, Jade Thirlwall, now known as JADE, took home […]
A vibrant market showcasing over 50 women-owned businesses will take place in Newcastle this International Women’s Day weekend. The event, held on March 8 and 9 at the Ouseburn Trust Visitors Centre, will run from 10 am to 4 pm. Organised by Flaura Rose and The Find, the market is free to attend and aims […]
Schools across Gateshead went into lockdown following a threatening email this morning. A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: “Just before 9am today (Thursday, March 6), we received a report of malicious communications directed towards a number of primary and secondary schools across Gateshead.” The emails are understood to have been sent overnight. Cardinal Hume Catholic School […]