Features
Students at the University of Sunderland say a lack of green spaces is contributing to their anxiety and burnout, raising questions about how environments can shape mental health. Between lectures, students spill out onto grey pathways surrounded by towering concrete buildings as they search for a place to pause. Outdoor spaces are limited and are […]
Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Md2-2GGE9Y Word count: 1,008 Full time at the First Cloud Arena, March 16th, 2025, Kidderminster Harriers travelled back to Worcester fresh off a 5-0 dismantling of South Shields, boos rang out as fans faced their worst season in over a decade. To make things worse, Shields would fail to win another game in […]
In the 1980s/90s football fanzines were common place at football grounds with 1,816 having been produced at some point. Now the 75 that are left continuing the tradition are facing an uncertain future. In this article, Spark’s Ciaran Myers speaks to those involved in fanzines to find out why they were so important and what […]
Associated with toilet habits and vegetables, dietary fibre hasn’t had the most glamorous rise to fame compared to its popular nutrient counterparts, like the explosive protein-madness of 2025. Recently, fibre has taken over our feeds, with hashtags like “#fibre-maxxing” dominating trends. But with overwhelming amounts of wellness and health information available at the tap […]
A year and a half ago Labour was elected with a historic majority, giving them the power to shape the country however they want. Since that election victory the party is historically unpopular and changes have been slow and almost unnoticeable to most. Despite this, nobody can truly seem to agree on where it is […]
When Katrina ‘Wild Cat’ Fisher first walked into a martial arts gym as a baby-faced assassin, it was not with the intentions of winning world titles. It was out of curiosity, a moment of second doubt before stepping into her Taekwondo class, that day would unknowing set Fisher on her path to becoming one […]
BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend 2026 is heading to Sunderland this May, located at Herrington Country Park spanning over three days from Friday 22 to Sunday 24. Previously, we gave our predictions but now the official line-up and tickets are out! View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sunderland’s BIDs (@sunderlandexperience) […]
Richard O’Briens legendary rock ‘n’ roll musical The Rocky Horror Show visits the Sunderland Empire this week and is running from the 19th to 23rd January. The show was first seen on the London stage in 1973 and its fan base has grown massively since. It includes some iconic tracks including: Time Warp, Sweet Transvestite, […]
Newcastle-based band, The Pale White, have just announced a UK-wide tour for 2026. The venues span from Edinburgh to London, ending with a final wrap-up in Newcastle. The alt-rock band, currently consisting of brothers Adam and Jack Hope, originated in Wallsend and has been actively gigging since 2016. They have been from success to success […]
Football isn’t only a game between 22 players on a pitch – it’s also about the game of international power on this planet. Not to mention the love of a Sunderland-born author for his home club and city. Spark’s Ciaran Myers discovered this when he met Guardian journalist Jonathan Wilson. It’s perhaps not often that […]
