LifeStyle

Council to invest £1.5 million in Sheffield parks

Community parks and play facilities are set to benefit from £1.5m funding by Sheffield City Council over the next three years. A recent parliamentary inquiry highlighted a countrywide crisis in community parks, with declining facilities and under-investment. The majority of the funding will come from the city’s public health budget, with a focus on reducing gaps in health-related deprivation across the city. It is also expected to lead to the creation of new jobs. Sheffield Live! reporter Baillor Jalloh spoke to councillor Mary Lea, cabinet member for culture, parks and leisure.

Site Gallery announces ambitious expansion

Site Gallery has announced an ambitious expansion project with over £2.7m investment to create a new gallery and events space on Paternoster Row. Sheffield’s leading contemporary art space specialises in new media, moving image and performance and will treble the scale of its public offer including a new 262 square metre gallery and a flexible event space for education, creative activity and commercial hires. The plans also provide for a 40-seat café, a shop and business units. Work is planned to commence in April 2017, with the existing gallery to be temporarily closed while work takes place. A programme of pop-up events is planned in the interim. Simon Thake reports for Sheffield Live!

DIY publishers gather for Sheffield Zine Fest

The fifth annual Sheffield Zine Fest took place at the Hallam Hubs, celebrating everything to do with zines, self-made magazines and booklets often given away or sold for the cost of printing. The event included workshops, stalls and exhibitions with a focus not only content, but also designs, styles and print methods. Many zinesters hand print covers, sew bindings, or colour in pages individually. Simon Thake reports for Sheffield Live!

Unwanted artwork sale opens at Cupola Gallery

More than 300 artists working across a range of media have offered their under-the-bed artworks for sale to the public as part of an annual exhibition at Cupola Gallery. The gallery, established in 1991, is one of the most respected spaces for the exhibition and sale of contemporary fine art and craft in the North of England. Baillor Jalloh spoke to Graham Shapley, general manager at Cupola Gallery.

Young and old celebrate New Year with traditional tea dance

Sheffield young and old gathered at the Sheffield City Hall ballroom for a traditional New Years Eve celebration. Traditional ball room dancing has taken place in Sheffield since the 1930s with couples quickstepping and waltzing around the art deco room and the New Years Eve tea dances remaining as popular as ever. Simon Thake reports for Sheffield Live!

 

£300m new leisure development planned for Meadowhall

British Land the joint owner of Meadowhall in Sheffield, has submitted a detailed planning application to Sheffield City Council for a £300 million Meadowhall Leisure Hall. The proposed extension is billed as the next phase of Meadowhall’s evolution and will follow a £60 million refurbishment due to complete at the end of 2017. The extension comprises a 330,000 square feet multi-level extension housed under a glazed roof, offering dining and entertainment as well as internal and external spaces for events and community use. Sheffield Live! reporter Simon Thake spoke with director of Meadowhall Centre, Darren Pierce.

City’s ‘Grey to Green’ project recognised at Sheffield Design Awards

Sheffield City Council’s ‘Grey to Green’ project is replacing areas of city centre pavement with rain gardens designed to assist natural and sustainable drainage. The scheme was awarded both the Outstanding Project Award and the Open Spaces Award at this year’s Sheffield Design Awards. The main purpose of the awards is to recognise buildings and open spaces that meet high architectural standards and contribute to the environment. Sheffield Live! reporter Baillor Jalloh spoke to Lucia Lorente, principal development officer at Sheffield City Council.

HS2 reported to be coming in to City Centre

President of Sheffield Chamber of Commerce Jillian Thomas, welcomed a report, which favoured the city centre option, for the HS2 train stop. The report also said it would save £768 million pounds on the overall budget of the project to go for Midland station.