Spark News
With Spring just around the corner we’ve put together a selection of activities to get your adrenaline pumping and kick start the season! Endless Adventure North East Endless Adventure North East offer a range of outdoor activities, suitable for children and adults. The business was founded in 2012, and it offers a unique experience for […]
Radio 1’s Big Weekend is coming to Sunderland this year, and the big question everyone is asking is who will be playing the festival? I’ve done some research and this is my prediction for this year’s show. Louis Tomlinson Former One Direction member Louis Tomlinson has recently released his third solo album, How did […]
Two park cafés in Newcastle city centre are closing with the council blaming an increase in running costs. The café at Paddy Freeman’s park was closed with immediate effect on 27th January and staff have been transferred over to the Exhibition Park café which will close from the 9th February. One staff member, who asked […]
The National Glass Centre is showing Sunderland graduates’ art in a final exhibition in the Main Gallery before its closure in July. The exhibition – called The Graduates – contains work by staff and graduates of the University of Sunderland’s Glass and Ceramics course. Visitors can admire the work of the 51 artists from January […]
Fawlty Towers is bringing laughter to the Sunderland Empire stage as part of its 2026 UK and Ireland tour, following its critically acclaimed West End run. Adapted from the award-winning British television comedy created by John Cleese and Connie Booth, Fawlty Towers: The Play has been adapted for the stage by Cleese himself and is […]
The unemployment rate in the North East of England has risen rapidly in the last three years according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Recent ONS statistics show that in October, 2025 the unemployment rate reached 6.2% which is 0.9% more than October, 2024 when it was only 5.3%. The jobless rate in 2024 […]
Matilda The Musical is set to hit the Empire stage for the second time from 11 – 28 February as it celebrates 15 years on the stage. The Royal Shakespeare Company’s beloved stage version of Roald Dahl’s children’s book, Matilda The Musical, with music and lyrics written by the brilliant Tim Minchin, will be returning […]
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 […]
Ponteland United Reformed Church, in Darras Hall, Northumberland, has been taken over by the Malhotra Family Foundation. The closed historic building is planned to be restored as a community centre for local residents, families and schools. Schemes include a new state-of-the-art nursery providing care before and after school, along with tearooms, where afternoon teas can […]
Rugby culture has become so well-known across the world as loyalty and sportsmanship takes over the core values of the sport, on the pitch and off. We talk to Sunderland University Rugby team’s Jonathan Derby who talks about his experience playing for the team and how it has been important to him during his first […]
