Express Yourself: North East Festival of Languages in-person events are always very popular and book up early. Registrations opened in November and 11 events are already fully booked. Below is a list of the in-person events that still have some places left. Follow the links to find out more about each one.
These events provide immersive and inspiring experiences for children and young people and include in-person activities for both primary and secondary schools. There are some with flexible bookings during the Festival period and others are on specific dates, mainly in March 2026. There are also some in-person events for teachers, listed separately.
1) In-person events for children and young people
To book any of these events, email the registration contact provided or use the registration link – please provide:
- your school/group name and address
- contact person and their email
- the number and age/Key Stage of pupils you would like to take part
- if there are multiple options for dates and times, your preferences
Note that when events are fully booked, the relevant event page is updated with this information.
| EVENT NAME, DATE AND TIME AND EVENT WEBPAGE LINK | EVENT SUMMARY | NOTE ON PLACES REMAINING AND REGISTRATION EMAIL/LINK |
| Language Treasures at Great North Museum 10am-2pm 4th March; self-guided activities all March | For North East schools (KS2-3): Book hands-on workshops exploring galleries through a linguistic lens and connecting across cultures or use teacher-led resourced activities throughout March. | 4th March workshops are fully booked, but teachers can register for self-guided activities with teaching resources for the whole of March. Click here to complete the expression of interest form |
| Language Student Immersion at Durham University (KS5) Flexible dates 12th January to 6th March | For North East KS5 language learners: Half-day programmes for 2 pupils per visit, who will meet language students and do task-based activities in languages they study or take at degree level. | Places for 2 pupils per session are allocated based on availability of staff and students. Email penelope.johnson@durham.ac.uk to register interest and Penny will contact you with availability and make any arrangements. |
| Asian Creative Journeys: Indian & Chinese cultural workshops Flexible bookings Feb-March (delivered in schools) | For North East schools and community schools KS2-5: South Asian and Chinese arts and culture workshops delivered in school by GemArts artists. Options include festivals, dance, visual arts, traditional arts and crafts. | There are some in-school sessions available. Teachers or community school leads should register interest in the in-person artist workshops by emailing lily@gemarts.org |
| Afro-Ecuadorian Fairytales at the Multilingual Library 1.30-2.30pm on 4th, 11th, 25th Feb at the Multilingual Library in Gateshead (11th March is fully booked) | For NE KS2-3 pupils: An engaging event (English/Spanish) bringing fairytales to life and learning about the importance of traditions and knowledge in different cultures. With teaching resources. | To book a session for up to 12 pupil places for your North East primary or secondary school, please email: info@expressyourselfne.com Please indicate your preference for dates and if your children have any mobility or health issues. |
| Primary school games & stories at the Multilingual Library Flexible bookings for 2-hour sessions in March at the Multilingual Library in Gateshead | For North East primary schools: Children will enjoy a library tour, games, quizzes and stories using our many books and celebrate diverse cultures and languages around the world. | To book a session for up to 10 pupil places for your North East primary or secondary school, please email: kittiwake@multilinguallibrary.org.uk and include ‘Festival of Languages’ in the subject line. Please indicate your preference for dates and if your children have any mobility or health issues. |
| Welcome to China events (3-18 yrs) 9.30-11.30am on 10th, 11th, 12th, 17th, 18th and 19th March at Newcastle University campus | For North East schools (5-18 yrs): Join in a Mandarin taster session and cultural workshops – Tai Chi, Kungfu, calligraphy, printmaking, Chinese Tea Ceremony, lacquer fan, lantern making, Chinese painting and paper cutting. | Places for up to 30 pupils per school. Register with your preference for dates and cultural activities and the age and number of pupils. Click here to complete the registration form |
| Welcome to Japan Workshops (Y5-6) 10-12 and 1-3pm on 11th March at Durham University | For North East schools (Y5-6): Learn about Japanese culture and language in these fun, interactive workshops with Japanese students and staff from Durham University and Teikyo University of Japan at Durham. | 25 places for 1 school each in the morning and afternoon sessions. Register by emailing: info@expressyourselfne.com |
| Welcome to the Arab World workshops (Y5-8) 9.30-12, 12.30-3pm on 23rd March at Newcastle Civic Centre | For North East schools (Years 5-6) Children will learn about the Arab world, culture and traditions, practice some Arabic language and try Arabic calligraphy in these fun, in-person interactive workshops. | There are 38 places left for the morning session and 35 places left for the afternoon session. Register by emailing: info@expressyourselfne.com |
| Chinese Documentary Film Screening (14-18yrs) 10am-2.30pm on 25th March at Newcastle University | For North East schools (KS4-5): Screening of 3 Chinese documentaries, offering insights into Chinese society, education and social inequality and documentary filmmaking. With Q&A. | Note that the films are suitable for pupils aged 14-18 years. Click here to complete the registration form Any queries about the event please email linlin.fang@newcastle.ac.uk |
| Bangla Day in Sunderland (KS2-5) 11-12.30 and 1.30-3pm on 25th March, SBIC | For North East schools and colleges: Activities to celebrate richness of Bangladeshi culture, heritage, traditions and language with the Bangladeshi community in Sunderland. | Email Amir Ali to request a visit place for your group: amir.ali@sb-international.org.uk with your preference for times. |
| Multilingual Poetry Slam (KS3-5) 9.30am-3pm on 27th March at Newcastle Civic Centre | NE and Tees Valley schools (KS3-5): Join Michaël Vidon and a team of Spoken Word Artists to experience a day of multilingual poetry. Pupils will create and perform group poems in multiple languages. | There is one school place left for this event (up to 25 pupils). Register by emailing: info@expressyourselfne.com |
2) In-person events for teachers
| EVENT NAME, DATE AND TIME AND EVENT WEBPAGE LINK | EVENT SUMMARY | REGISTRATION LINK |
| Designing cross-curriculum tasks to build competence in languages 12-3pm 16th March at Newcastle Civic Centre | For North East teachers at any level: Join expert Dr Jenny Eddy, a leading global expert on World Language Education and task-based, real-world approaches to improving language competence. This CPD session will help teachers to understand and design tasks across subject areas to support language learning. | Register by emailing: info@expressyourselfne.com listing the names and emails of teachers who want to attend the session |
| Spanish Teachers’ Day at Newcastle University IN PERSON on 14th March 2026 | For teachers and future teachers of Spanish in the North East at all levels. A lively day of presentations and practical ideas for the Spanish language class, with a Spanish lunch. | Registration is free, but places are limited (on a first-come, first-served basis). The final programme and registration will be available on the Spanish Embassy Education Office website very soon: News at the Spanish Education Office |
The Festival is part-funded by the North East Combined Authority
