Arts & Culture

Celebrating creativity, capturing stories.

From grassroots music and theatre to local artists, independent venues and creative communities, explore the people, performances and places shaping our cultural landscape.

Through features, reviews and photography, Common Threads shines a light on local creativity and the stories behind it.

  • Women of Grit and Grace: The Steel Magnolias Shine in The Turnpike Community Theatre production

    Steel Magnolias, written by Robert Harling, is a thought-provoking and sentimental play that highlights the strength of friendship. Inspired by the tragic death of his sister Susan due to complications from diabetes, the characters in the play are close to Robert’s heart. The play was famously adapted into a film in 1989, featuring stars such…

  • Revealing Silent Wounds: Joy Unspeakable Review at The Turnpike Gallery.

    On Wednesday, September 11th, I watched Joy Unspeakable, an all-female production directed by Amy Hailwood from her theatre company, Ordinary Glory. The play uses verbatim text, physical theatre, and live music to explore the real-life experiences of four women dealing with disordered eating. In addition to these true accounts, the play is influenced by Hailwood’s…

  • A stand out event: The Not So Silent Movie Night at The Old Courts.

    I’ve attended several events at Wigan’s multi-arts centre, The Old Courts, but The Not So Silent Movie Night truly stood out. With its unique twist, this event immediately captured my attention. The evening promised plenty of fun, featuring a diverse selection of silent films from various genres and eras, all set to live music by…

  • Funny, frenzied and fast: Review of Run for your Wife at St Josephs Hall, Leigh

    Recently, I had the opportunity to watch Run for Your Wife, a comedy play written by Ray Cooney and directed by Paul Jameson. The production was presented by St Joseph’s Players at St Joseph’s Hall, running from July 16th to 20th. The play promised, and delivered, a funny, frenzied, and fast-paced experience that kept the…

  • Welcome to the Horrocks Gallery: Creative Spin Studios’ Intro Exhibition at Leigh Spinners Mill Grand Opening

    Saturday, June 15th, marked a significant day in Leigh’s cultural diary with the grand opening of Leigh Spinners Mill. Acquired by the Leigh Building Preservation Trust in 2014, the mill’s redevelopment aims to save the local building and transform the site into a community hub, hosting businesses and cultural enterprises. With MP Jo Platt appointed…

  • Creativity’s power: The Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize at The Turnpike Gallery, Leigh

    On Friday, 12th July, The Turnpike Gallery hosted the launch of their new exhibition, the Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize. Running from 13th July to 14th September, this prestigious open exhibition is dedicated to drawing in the UK. Known previously as the Jerwood Drawing Prize until 2017, the exhibition was first shown at The Turnpike…

  • Nostalgic Rock: The Dropouts live at St George’s Church, Tyldesley

    The Early Doors Club was held on the 28th of June at St. George’s Church in Tyldesley. The Dropouts, a local band from Tyldesley featuring Radio M29’s own Bevan Thompson, headlined the show for this edition of gigs. I was greatly looking forward to this performance, as knowing Bev personally, I was promised a spectacular…

  • The sound of life: Tony Black and Andrew Metheven live at The Coffee Stop, Leigh

    I have attended many gigs organised by The Early Doors Club initiative, but this was my first time at a gig at The Coffee Stop. Located on Railway Road in Leigh, The Coffee Stop is a cafe adorned with music memorabilia, creating the perfect atmosphere for a performance. From Penny Lane signs to photos of…

  • Heartfelt music: Tom Hingley and Lily Webb live at St George’s Church Tyldesley

    St. George’s held an evening of the Early Doors Club on the 31st of May, featuring incredible music by Lily Webb and Tom Hingley. The Early Doors Club has become a favourite part of my week that I always look forward to, as it gives me the chance to support local grassroots venues and discover…

  • Meditative writing: Calligraphy with Let’s Shape Our Creativity and Sammie Lister.

    Images courtesy of Let’s Shape Our Creativity As a writer, I had never thought about the visual art related to writing until I attended the “Let’s Shape Our Creativity” workshop with Sammie on calligraphy. This experience allowed me to learn about and engage with this new visual art form. The term “calligraphy” derives from the…