Holidays are great. Coming home to flags is weird. But here’s a good one I spotted in an anti-fascist café in a French village. Peace, love and kindness everyone.

Thanks to @elijahyoung.bsky.social for this brilliant blog about last week's North East Culture Social. The event sparked inspiring, honest, open conversations about creative community projects & practice. Lots of things that I’m still thinking about a week on!

Sam Fender with my mum. Amazing night! 🖤🤍

We are looking for a Community Champion to join us as at #NorthEastDeafYouthTheatre! We are looking for deaf creatives who are based in the North East and have experience of - or are interested in - working with children and young people. Find out more - www.unfoldingtheatre.co.uk/opportunities

Thanks to my colleagues who helped research, write and develop this policy. It’s helped us think practically about what inclusivity looks like. And sadly it feels even more needed than when we first introduced it. #Pride2025 #TransEquality 🏳️‍⚧️

Really looking forward to hosting this event for community organisations and creatives in Newcastle. Not many tickets left. Get booking if you want to join the conversation. #NECultureSocial www.unfoldingtheatre.co.uk/whatson/2025...

On the telly! Super proud of the whole team who made this happen.

I feel lucky to have seen Mother Courage in Horden last night. Amazing company from East Durham and South Africa. Cracking performances, script and singing. Local. International. And all the more special for being shared in a church hall in Horden. 👏 👏 👏

I've just booked for 'Songs of the Bulbul' - part of Masala Festival at Theatre Royal this July. I saw Aakash Odedra's previous piece (also programmed by GemArts) last year, and it completely blew my mind. Treat yourself to something gorgeous. www.theatreroyal.co.uk/whats-on/son...

No man is an island, Entire of itself; Every man is a piece of the continent, A part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, As well as if a promontory were: As well as if a manor of thy friend's Or of thine own were.

Congrats to the team of #DogsOnTheMetro. Smart writing about the things that don’t get said after experiences of sexual violence. Important watch - and excellent direction and performances too.

Who else is going to #DandD20 this weekend? See you there??

If you missed this last year, here’s another chance to see #Penguin. Beautiful brilliant show!

Great to be talking about ‘The Future of UK Youth Theatres’ today. Here’s something I wrote about the difference our youth theatres make to me every single day.

I have no framework to compute what has just happened. Finally! #NUFC 🖤🤍🖤🤍

#NightClasses on tour.

Fancy stepping into the world of #NightClasses? Excellent @culturednortheast.bsky.social interview with Artistic Director, @annierigby.bsky.social gives you a glimpse into the show. We head to @gosforthcivictheatre.co.uk and 17Nineteen THIS WEEK! www.culturednortheast.co.uk/p/night-clas...

Come on down next Friday at @gosforthcivictheatre.co.uk. Then stick around and see our show, #NightClasses!

So proud of this lot. Young people from our 3 youth groups came together to perform ‘Serving Up’ to 300+ people at Newcastle’s conference about health inequality. Set in The Future - a restaurant run by children - they served up delicious bites, a few home truths and visions for a better future.

Brilliant show by @ishydin.bsky.social about family, mixed heritage, race, 1970s South Shields and Mohammed Ali. Also brilliantly performed by a great cast. Packs a punch. 🥊 #Champion @livetheatre.bsky.social

‘Here Be Dragons’ opens next week! I’ve bloody loved making this show. The team are ridiculously talented. And it’s got a dragon in it. What more do you want?! Touring Sunderland & South Tyneside with Cultural Spring’s Bitesize programme in February>> www.unfoldingtheatre.co.uk/here-be-drag...

I’m really proud that our numbers tell the same story that our words do. Here’s a blog I wrote about budgets, access and inclusion at @unfoldingtheatre.bsky.social.

I spotted this beautiful poster in Gateshead Multilingual Library last year. Dreaming of a day when I could Visit Palestine indeed. But a Palestine owned by Palestinians.

The floor of Durham Scenic Workshops. Years of making, flecked and speckled. Sharing it today to concentrate on good things. And how they leave lasting marks. Peace and love everyone. x

Vote for Smoggie Queens plz. #SmoggieQueens

I’ve been feeling grateful and lucky to be part of such an amazing theatre-making community in the North East. Talented people making brilliant things possible. #theatre #HereBeDragons #NorthEast

For anyone who is wondering how this is going, my youngest is currently rolling back and across the room shouting, “rolling rolling rolling rolling rolling rolling rolling rolling”. #darts #rolling

Just looked it up, and yep, I’m older than both of Luke Littler’s parents. #darts

This is the first year that the kids have stayed up with me to watch the #darts final. We’ll soon find out whether I’ll regret agreeing to this.

Tough on Bunting, but there’s not much you can do against darts like that. Littler’s 170 finish off the back of Bunting’s 170 said it all. Roll on the final! #darts

“Mum, why has Gerwen Price got muscles printed on his t-shirt?” #darts

What a game! Ryan Joyce can hold his head very high. Brilliant finishing. But Littler’s relentless scoring got him over the line. #darts

Brilliant afternoon for the darting Geordies. Wins for Dobey and Rydz. Even the Ally Pally wasp couldn’t stop Rydz. #darts

Wow. Was not expecting that. Peter Wright puts out Luke Humphries. And he seems to have got over that nasty cough. #darts

I’m not sure my eyes can handle the clashing patterns of Peter Wright’s trousers and top. #darts

Good to see Pietreczko put out strutting darts cockerel, Scott Williams. (That 121 finish was pure class.) Also good to see The Asp into the last 16. Mind, those Mr Porky’s adverts have finally got to me. Off to the pub for a swift half & some pork scratchings before the evening session. #darts

Stay tuned for more HOT tips. 😆

That 170 from Cullen to stay in the game!! Sweet sweet #darts!

Despite mixed form on Round 2 predictions, I’m going to stick my neck out and say I reckon Jermaine Wattimena will beat Peter Wright tonight. He had a cracking first couple of rounds. Now let’s see if I’ve jinxed it by putting this down in writing… 🎯 #darts #WorldDartsChampionship

Loving Ricky Evans’s post match interview. “Us gingers. We’re good on stage.”

What a game!!! Rare to see a miscount. Gutter for Chisnall after he thought he’d finished. Props to the wild enigma that is Rapid Ricky Evans. 👏 👏 🎯

That was a 141 average from Littler in the final set. Insanely good darts. (Which made up for the first set which was a bit - dare I say it - ropey.) Amazing player. #darts #WorldDartsChampionship

Ahhh Barney. Forever breaking our hearts. (But lush to see Nick Kenny bouncing across the stage and bursting into tears.) #darts #WorldDartsChampionship

What. A. Game. Kevin Doets puts out World No 2 Michael Smith!!! 🎯 #darts #PDCWorldDartsChampionship

SENSATIONAL 9-DARTER FROM CHRISTIAN KIST!!! 🎯 (Feeling very much rewarded for my commitment to the early rounds of the #PDCWorldDartsChampionship) #darts

Ahhh, close for ‘Queen of the Palace’ Fallon Sherrock, but it wasn’t to be. In a way, I’m glad she’s been spared the judgement of darts newbies tuning in for the first time to watch the next round which would have been against Luke Littler. 😬 #darts #PDCWorldChampionship

Afternoon #darts watching compromised by having to go to work. But delighted to get home in time to see Jermaine Wattimena put out James Wade in the first big upset at the #WorldDartsChampionship. Beautiful 126 in the final set. 👏 👏 🎯

Darts Day 1. No surprise to see Humphries on blistering form. At the end he looked like he (almost) felt bad about not having let Tricole win a leg. Wattimena also throwing some very decent darts. Could he put Wade out tomorrow? Let’s see! 🎯 #darts #WorldDartsChampionship

Thanks to all you lovely people who’ve donated so far. There’s 24 hours left on our crowdfunder, helping Unfolding Theatre tour new family show ‘Here Be Dragons’ to North East communities in 2025. If you can spare a few quid it would be massively appreciated. ❤️ 🐉 www.spacehive.com/here-be-drag...

To everyone who’s followed me on Bluesky for my theatre commentary - a gentle note - it will be mainly darts content from Sunday onwards. Darts being, of course, the finest form of theatre. #darts #WorldDartsChampionship #BattleOfTheDartingLukes 🎯