The Linguist

8 The Linguist Vol/63 No/4 ciol.org.uk/thelinguist NEWS & EDITORIAL Express Yourself: North East Festival of Languages is an annual celebration of diverse languages, cultures and communities in the North East of England. It offers free events, activities and resources for children and young people in schools, community schools and groups in order to: • Promote the value of languages and language learning, and inspire a future generation of linguists. • Give them agency, build their skills and confidence to embrace linguistic and cultural diversity, and nurture curiosity about the wider community and world. • Facilitate the celebration of home languages and exploration of children's own cultures, heritage and backgrounds in schools. • Broaden horizons and widen opportunities for their education, career choices and future lives in an increasingly interconnected world. • Build connections between schools and universities and local, regional and national organisations to support languages and intercultural awareness. The first festival in 2021 was in response to the pandemic, aiming to combat the drop-off in language teaching and learning. Newcastle City of Languages, a partnership of local, regional and national organisations, delivered online language and cultural activities to over 11,000 children and young people. It was so popular, it has continued annually and now runs between January and March. International Newcastle hosts and coordinates the festival, supported by a Steering Group which volunteers time and expertise. A growing network of contributors delivers events and activities, and provides resources free of charge. Festival planning begins in June each year, taking into account the latest feedback. Participation has grown annually, with 37,633 children and young people involved in the 2024 event. The festival includes creative projects, pre-recorded activities, in-person world language and culture events, careers events, and university-based activities. Although most of the engagement is regional, some activities involve schools across the UK and internationally. Registration for the fifth festival launched in November, with events running from January to March 2025. Among the activities on offer, there will be a festival song, available in 25 languages and BSL; poetry and creative writing projects; and the Weaving Friendship art project. In-person events for schools include 'Welcome to…' days (ranging from Bangla, Japan and China to the Arab World and German Speaking World); Yoruba and Spanish creative workshops; a Mini Olympics; Great North Museum tours and workshops; and stories and games at the Multilingual Library. Pre-recorded activities include multilingual films made by children, French puppet shows, African languages workshops and 'Fun with Japanese'. Languages and careers events are increasingly popular for pupils choosing GCSE options or studying A levels. These include webinars (open to all UK schools), workshops on languages in football, links to 'How Languages Changed My Life' stories, a Spanish Apprentice competition, and language-related careers resources. Secondary school events hosted by the universities of Newcastle, Northumbria and Durham provide opportunities for on-campus experiences with university staff and students across a range of languages to support A-level learners and promote language degree take-up. In addition, participating schools receive the British Council's International School Award (ISA) Foundation Certificate. Festival activities contribute to schools progressing through the ISA levels, which provide a framework to embed internationalism across the curriculum and school communities. They also support work around Schools of Sanctuary to celebrate multiculturalism and multilingualism and create a welcoming environment for all in schools. For more information, contact Declan Baharini at info@expressyourselfne.com, visit https://expressyourselfne.com, or find the festival on X, Facebook and Instagram. How the North East Festival of Languages is inspiring young people Festival marks five years DECLAN BAHARINI Declan Baharini is Coordinator of the Express Yourself festival and CEO of International Newcastle. TL ENGAGING WORKSHOPS Newcastle school children work with calligraphy artist Abu Yahya during Express Yourself's Arab World Day in 2024

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