Connecting People and Places called Newcastle!

Updated January 2021

Newcastle-upon-Tyne is an international city with an international outlook.

In this article, Zelie and David who run the Secretariat for Newcastles of the World, tell us about this unique friendship alliance, which stretches across the world, how they are growing and strengthening projects, activities and opportunities across five continents – and why this is so important right now.

There are also opportunities for local schools and partners to be involved. Click here to see a list of current project opportunities for secondary schools and ways to start your partnership.

A unique international alliance

Newcastles of the World, with its secretariat in Newcastle upon Tyne, links towns and cities that share our name, whatever their language.

There are over 100 “Newcastles” around the world and seventeen of them – spread across all five main continents – are actively involved in our work (see our members and the world map below).

Newcastles of the World is a friendship alliance, linking people internationally, providing opportunities to experience each other’s cultures and languages. Every two years, we have a global conference, which takes place in one of the “Newcastles”. Shinshiro, Japan, hosted the last conference in 2018.

Practical projects

We facilitate projects on culture, tourism, education and business between the “Newcastles”. Dynamic and innovative products are currently resulting from our international collaboration, for instance:

Young people are busy working together to create “Connecstle”, the “Newcastles” youth travel and tourism app
A student from Northumbria University has just finished a year-long industrial placement in an engineering factory in Shinshiro
We are currently facilitating a Newcastles of the World digital arts exhibition planned for December/January in Nové Zámky as part its year as Slovakia’s “City of Culture”.

Connecting online

So, during this time of the Covid-19 pandemic, we are maximising digital communications to develop and nurture our international links and projects. Online conference calls can take us swiftly from one Newcastle to another.

We have created a dedicated online communications platform to enable “Newcastles” to communicate seamlessly. More than ever, there is a need for people to be in contact with each other.

Opportunities for schools’ links

Newcastles of the World provides new opportunities for developing international links, for exchange of knowledge and best practice, and for co-operation on key themes. All are welcome to become involved in one or more projects.

Currently, some secondary schools in other Newcastles would like to form new international links. We are seeking secondary schools in Newcastle upon Tyne to link with schools in these other Newcastles, to build friendships at an international level, with opportunities to participate in Newcastles of the World projects.

Click here to see a list of current project opportunities for secondary schools.

To begin a conversation about your school’s potential participation, please get in touch with zelie@zelieguerin.com