Between 7-8pm tonight, people across the globe are dedicating an hour to reading as part of World Book Night. Run by the Reading Agency, the challenge encourages people to pick up a book as part of their night routine. Fancy taking part but want company? Spark lists its top three influencers livestreaming the event below. […]

So you agree? You can’t believe it’s been 22 years since the iconic movie Mean Girls was released. Neither can Spark. The beloved film-turned-musical (eight years ago now) is making Sunderland Empire its home until April 11. The musical follows Cady Heron (Emily Lane) as she transitions from her life in Africa to surviving high […]

For decades, Sunderland has been known for its industrial heritage – shipbuilding, coal mining and a fierce loyalty to its football club. But in recent years, a new identity has steadily taken shape. Since being officially recognised as a “Music City”, Sunderland has begun to reposition itself as a hub of creativity, collaboration and emerging […]

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 […]