What's happening in Beeston, Belle Isle, Cottingley, Holbeck, Hunslet, Middleton and Stourton
A behind the scenes documentary telling the story of a band of learning disabled musicians has won a special award at a prestigious film festival. The film charting the journey of Ultimate Thunder, heralded ‘the most punk rock band in Britain’, was one of only six music documentaries to be
Coming up in Hunslet and Belle Isle, Opera North are returning to the Penny Hill Shopping Centre, Church Street, Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS10 2AP, for another of our monthly recitals. On Thursday 30 April 2026, Sarah Masters (clarinet) and Jenny Hobbins (piano) will be bringing a delightful mix of
Mythbusting Leeds rock and pop band Sky Fallers celebrate their 10th anniversary with a special concert on Tuesday (17 June 2025) at Headrow House, as part of Leeds Learning Disability Week. Sky Fallers feature highly talented learning disabled singers and musicians. Playing classic songs, they achieve great performance standards, break
Opera North will be working with local people in Hunslet over the coming months to co-create a brand new song in celebration of Hunslet and its residents. The songwriting project is a response to Creative Communities work (see opposite) and is the start of a programme of community activities in
Holbeck-based arts charity Pyramid has been shortlisted for the Flare Audio Music and Culture for Wellbeing Award at this year’s Northern Music Awards sponsored by Ticketmaster and Live Nation, hosted by music therapy charity, Nordoff and Robbins. High Rise Music, Pyramid’s weekly group for people with profound and multiple learning
Can You Hear Us Holbeck? is a new music making course from Beeston-based community music organisation Vera Media. Running from Old Chapel Studios from Wednesday 9 October 2024, the course will focus on friendship, community, songwriting and finding your voice. The course will run for nine weeks and brings together
After months of voting, a judging panel and a public vote stage, Jane Hurst, teacher at Middleton Primary School, has been awarded a 2024 Classic FM Music Teacher of the Year Award. Announced on Classic FM Breakfast by Dan Walker, Jane is one of five exceptional music teachers, who are
Ten adult learners from Leeds and a choir from Wakefield are helping to put the finishing touches to an original piece of music that will see them collaborate with industry professionals at a once-in-a-lifetime recording session at London’s famous Abbey Road Studios. The adult learners are taking part in a
They say time machines are fictional, but I disagree, well to an extent. I was busy working when a song I hadn’t heard in years came on the radio, I was instantly transported back to my high school days. In that moment, I found myself reliving memories of the clothes
In the 19th century, Italian opera was heard not only in the opera houses but at home and on the street: far from being an elite form of entertainment this was people’s music, and it told universal and timeless stories of the quest for love and home.