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Designer Paul Costelloe: 'It really makes you realise how lucky you are just to be working'

"It's like making a Ben Hur or The Ten Commandments in one day." That's how designer Paul Costelloe describes his AW21 fashion collection which debuted as an online show just two weeks ago. "It's a new experience, doing virtual shows. You have to become more camera orientated and keep the budget down because situations are pretty tough at the moment so you use your brain a little bit."

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The Big Ask with Ashley Fulton: Music should be compulsory for every child in every school

Q Tell us about your childhood.

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The Big Ask with Belfast writer Sharon Dempsey: 'I'd no confidence when I was young. You change by saying yes to things'

Belfast writer Sharon Dempsey (51) lives with husband Liam and daughter Sarah. The journalist has published fiction and non-fiction and facilitates writing classes for those affected by health challenges

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What's booking?

Aine Toner's selection of thriller and crime novels to keep you entertained during the chillier nights.

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Make working from your home work in your favour

Lockdown, for many, demands hour after hour of work-related Zoom/Teams meetings. Video chat is helping us stay connected to our colleagues - and personally, to our families - but after months of ensuring our microphone is switched on and hiding laundry/mess, how can we maximise our focus and delivery of what we need to say?

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Sleep tight: How you can get a good night’s rest

We appreciate the benefit of a good night's sleep - we wake up feeling refreshed, clear headed and prepared to begin our day. Not everyone is so fortunate. For those who regularly experience poor sleep, pandemic anxiety, coupled with constant changes regarding lockdowns and restrictions, can mean sleep is further impaired. At a time when so much is beyond our control, the benefits of a good night's rest are tremendous.

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'As young people we can make a difference in society', says teen author Dara McAnulty

Like many events, the NI Science Festival has gone online for 2021, running from February 15-18 and offering over 120 events including discussions and interactive workshops. In its seventh year - and at a time where science has never been more in focus - one of the upcoming events is a Q&A with teenage naturalist Dara McAnulty.

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Our lockdown heroes

From reality TV to woolly jumpers, here's what is getting us through all these latest restrictions.

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It's cold, it's dark, it's wet, thankfully, there's plenty of new books to read indoors

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A new way of living

Since the pandemic, many have chosen to swap city living for a gentler pace - and a new daytime series is giving families the chance to road test the possibility. In today's Wanted: A Simple Life, former West End performer turned theatre director Pauline Elliott and husband Robin, who is celebrating 25 years on radio and TV this year and currently works for Belfast 89FM, swap Belfast for the Causeway coast. They're able to sample a version of what the life they think they want, but are also shown the true cost of moving - and the price. Will a week at one of the most scenic parts of Northern Ireland convince Robin he's ready for a simpler life?

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Medbh McGuckian: A pioneer of poetry

Tonight sees the documentary on one of Northern Ireland's foremost poets. Former teacher and writer-in-residence at Queen's University Medbh McGuckian's poems will be brought to life through performances and recitals as she reflects on the works - and words - that have defined her life and career.

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What's booking? From heartbreaking family scenes to an historical friendship, new reads that are ideal for staying at home

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Podcasts worth listening to in 2021

For many, podcasts are the perfect pandemic distraction (unless, of course, you opt to listen to a pandemic podcast). Offering consumers the opportunity to listen to what they want, when they want and for how long they want, they've quickly become one of the best ways to access content. They're accessible, easy and you never need to miss your favourite episode.

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Looking for a new book? What Northern Ireland has been reading during Covid-19 lockdown

If we had read an account of any of 2020's world events in a novel we would have been satisfied knowing it was exactly that: fiction. Contemporary events have always affected readership and with restrictions as they are, reading - and fiction especially - is proving to be a vital form of entertainment and escapism.

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Cosy little earner

Fancy a girly night in, treating yourself to some well-deserved TLC? One Dublin company has the perfect pampering pressie with loads of gorgeous goodies - for yourself or a friend - all wrapped up...

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Acting their age

Belfast's Grand Opera House has opened its doors to our budding entertainers with classes in song, dance and drama. As a new term of the Youth Theatre begins, Sunday Life lifts the curtain on an exciting new venture...

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Anne's sister act

Anyone who remembers the antics of Helen Gordon and four equally uninhibited sisters in The Pineapple Tart, A Soft Touch and The Dolly Holiday will be smiling with glee at Anne Dunlop's latest literary endeavour.

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Mumtrepreneurs!

Some say that women can't have it all, but Heidi McAlpin and Sinead Faulkner have set up a successful business publishing the guidebook Belfast in Your Pocket, as well as being full-time mums. On Mother's Day, the busy pair talk about juggling family life and getting their project off the ground

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Travel: Sydney's got it all

City of dreams: From man-made wonders of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House to natural glories of the Hunter Valley and the Blue Mountains

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Hannahs from heaven

With a new album due out and a tour in the pipeline, former music teachers from Armagh, The Hannah Sisters, are looking forward to juggling their pop careers with motherhood

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Stay safe at Christmas

After the brutal sexual assault of a young woman in north Belfast, recently, attention has been firmly focused on personal safety throughout the Christmas period.

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Beat the bullies

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As a mentor she's got Street cred

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Health: Fighting breast cancer through a microscope

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Frank exchange

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Corry's on song for Christmas

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All about the music

Festival fever has hit Belfast in recent years and one woman who knows better than most about that kind of buzz is Alison Gordon, Festival Manager of the Open House Festival.