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Articles by Mark O'Brien

Freelancer. Writer. Traveller. Lover of spirits, fine women, and life. Twitter: @mw_obrien Website: www.mark-obrien.com

Leeds students spread the city’s Jewish story
April 14, 2012 – 8:49 am | 3 Comments
Leeds students spread the city’s Jewish story

Leeds University students exhibit their fascinating work on the history of the Leeds Jewish community this Tuesday at The Zone in Moortown.

Leeds Students Celebrating Their Work
March 27, 2012 – 9:48 am | No Comment
Leeds Students Celebrating Their Work

Guest blogger and Leeds student Yosra Awad writes about the exciting and eclectic Undergraduate Research Experience that came to the University earlier this month, and what it meant for the students on Woodhouse Lane.

Kay Mellor’s ‘The Syndicate’ on BBC1
March 25, 2012 – 10:26 pm | One Comment
Kay Mellor’s ‘The Syndicate’ on BBC1

Leeds minimart workers become lottery millionaires in new Kay Mellor series.

‘My Date with Mark O’Brien’, by Mark O’Brien
February 19, 2012 – 7:50 pm | 3 Comments
‘My Date with Mark O’Brien’, by Mark O’Brien

Still down after another Valentine’s Day alone? Well join Mark as he takes the ultimate anti-Valentine’s stand, and opts to go out on the town for a dinner date… with himself.

Meet Paul…
November 27, 2011 – 9:38 pm | No Comment
Meet Paul…

Mark O’Brien follows a day in the life of Paul from Bramley as he goes about town and finds ‘How Leeds Changed The World’

Leeds Summat – Live
November 25, 2011 – 10:33 am | 2 Comments
Leeds Summat – Live

Blogging live from the Leeds Summat!

Live Art This Weekend
November 23, 2011 – 12:06 pm | No Comment
Live Art This Weekend

Looking ahead to the weekend’s Live Art Festival in Leeds, with a chance to win tickets to see Forced Entertainment’s epic set-piece show.

Summat’s Goin’ Off Down Town
November 9, 2011 – 9:49 pm | No Comment
Summat’s Goin’ Off Down Town

“Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world…” – Leeds Summat may well be the place to prove it.

Compass Festival: Live Art in Leeds
November 5, 2011 – 1:33 am | No Comment
Compass Festival: Live Art in Leeds

A look ahead to this month’s upcoming Compass Festival of Live Art in Leeds (25th-27th November)

Legends of Leeds
November 2, 2011 – 10:30 am | One Comment
Legends of Leeds

Mark O’Brien has a new big project up his sleeve — and he needs your help, people of Leeds!

Painting the Playhouse White
October 26, 2011 – 1:08 pm | No Comment
Painting the Playhouse White

Mark O’Brien reviews ‘Paint It White’ at the West Yorkshire Playhouse: a saga of of life, love, and Leeds United.

Joey Barton – Footballer. Criminal. Philosopher. Punk?
October 19, 2011 – 10:39 pm | No Comment
Joey Barton – Footballer. Criminal. Philosopher. Punk?

Mark O’Brien visits Test Space Leeds ahead of their next provocative exhibition in association with Manchester arts collective One69a – delving into the sporting enigma that is Joey Barton.

Sunday Cinema Club at The Oak
October 18, 2011 – 11:06 pm | No Comment
Sunday Cinema Club at The Oak

News on the Sunday Cinema Club at Headingley’s Original Oak pub, starting up this month…
Do you ever find yourself stuck for things to do when it gets to Sunday night? With the dread of Monday …

Light Night for Dummies: Top Tips
October 5, 2011 – 11:36 pm | One Comment
Light Night for Dummies: Top Tips

Journalist Liv Walker picks out her top tips from the listings for this Friday’s Light Night in Leeds, and shares her advice for any Light Night virgins out there.

Older But Not Necessarily Wiser
October 4, 2011 – 12:07 pm | No Comment
Older But Not Necessarily Wiser

Rachel Kerr writes about her inspiring group of retired, 80-something student writers, after wowing the audiences last weekend at this year’s Ilkley Literature Festival Fringe.

This Sporting Life: A Culture Vulture Manifesto
October 4, 2011 – 1:19 am | One Comment
This Sporting Life: A Culture Vulture Manifesto

As Anthony Clavane and Jason Cowley visit the Ilkley Literature Festival, Mark O’Brien explores sport and culture, and what “being Leeds” means to him.

Leeds Lights Up!
October 3, 2011 – 4:25 pm | One Comment
Leeds Lights Up!

Leeds is lighting up for this year’s Light Night Leeds. Tell us what you want to see, what you’re involved in, and what you’re looking forward to most….

Morley Literature Festival
September 30, 2011 – 11:19 am | No Comment
Morley Literature Festival

Ian Rankin? Adam Hart-Davis? Pauline Black? The stars are coming out in Morley this season, as the local Literature Festival kicks off in a week’s time…

Art Is Always On At Masham
September 26, 2011 – 6:35 pm | No Comment
Art Is Always On At Masham

Mark O’Brien pays a visit to Masham, one of North Yorkshire’s creative capitals and home to an exciting new workshop venue.

Leeds Central Library Opens Its Doors
September 24, 2011 – 10:41 pm | No Comment
Leeds Central Library Opens Its Doors

Tom Smith visits the Leeds Central Library, one of the highlights of this month’s Heritage Open Days.

Win tickets to Leeds TiE’s latest show!
September 24, 2011 – 8:03 pm | 2 Comments
Win tickets to Leeds TiE’s latest show!

Your chance to win tickets to Leeds TiE’s exciting new show ‘Bad Mummy’ at the University’s Workshop Theatre as part of next month’s Love Arts Festival.

BasementArtsProject Speakeasy Exhibition
September 23, 2011 – 11:01 pm | No Comment
BasementArtsProject Speakeasy Exhibition

LS11’s own exciting BasementArtsProject becomes a haven for free expression Twenties-style this weekend with the launch of their new ‘Speakeasy’ exhibition.

Art on the Streets, Simon Style
September 22, 2011 – 3:25 am | One Comment
Art on the Streets, Simon Style

Have you seen what’s been on the streets of Leeds lately? Mark O’Brien finds out what local homeless charity Simon on the Streets are doing around town this month.

Heritage Open Days: Stories To Be Read
September 9, 2011 – 10:27 am | No Comment
Heritage Open Days: Stories To Be Read

“Fine buildings”, “historic sites”… Mark O’Brien looks beyond the meaningless labels and tells some of the incredible stories on offer in this weekend’s Heritage Open Days.

Making the Stone “Stony”
September 6, 2011 – 9:19 pm | No Comment
Making the Stone “Stony”

Mark O’Brien reflects on his evening looking at Leeds City Centre with new eyes as he joined Exposure Leeds on their photography mission.

Day 28: Dark and True and Tender (Part 2)
September 3, 2011 – 6:29 am | 3 Comments
Day 28: Dark and True and Tender (Part 2)

Twenty-eight days later, Mark O’Brien returns home – and finds tenderness, darkness, and truth.