South Tyneside Schools celebrate diversity, creativity and global connections as the North East Festival of Languages begins
As schools return, thousands of pupils across South Tyneside, and the North East region, are set to engage in activities celebrating languages and culture as Express Yourself: North East Festival of Languages - the UK’s largest celebration of languages for schools - begins on Tuesday, January 6, 2026.
Over the next three months, until March 31, 2026, schools across the North East of England will be able to access a vibrant mix live and online events, creative projects, and activities for ages three to 18.
Schools can access many activities in the programme including competitions, live and recorded online events, as well as a range of classroom activities and resources covering a range of diverse languages and cultures.
Thousands of places have already been booked for festival events, but spaces are still available across the diverse programme for in-person events, with many online events and downloadable classroom activities having unlimited places, so schools are still able to register take part.
Schools are invited to mix and match activities to create their own festival programme from the hundreds of events and activities on offer, all of which are free.
The festival celebrates the region’s rich mix of languages and cultures, showcasing creativity, inclusion, and global outlook.
From multilingual art, dance and writing workshops to language and careers sessions, competitions, and university campus experiences, the 2026 programme brings languages to life in fun, creative and accessible ways.
The festival programme is delivered through a partnership of more than fifty local, regional, national and international organisations.
Now entering its sixth year, the festival is bigger than ever after new funding from North East Mayor Kim McGuinness enabled it to expand to reach even more schools, community schools and groups across the North East.
The part-funding by the North East Combined Authority via a grant to Newcastle City Council and festival co-ordination by International Newcastle embodies the North East’s commitment to diversity, opportunity, and education.
Kim McGuinness, North East Mayor said: “I’m proud that we are supporting Express Yourself: North East Festival of Languages 2026 and the opportunities it brings for our young people.
"Across the villages and towns of the North East, our schools are full of potential - bright, curious minds ready to explore the world.
"This programme will help raise aspirations, nurture talent, and prepare the next generation - from our smallest village schools to our largest city academies - for a diverse, global society.
“By inspiring a love of languages and learning, we’re breaking down barriers, opening our kids’ eyes to the whole world from an early age, and ensuring that every child can take their place on the global stage with pride and ambition.”
Declan Baharini, Express Yourself: North East Festival of Languages Co-ordinator added: “We’re excited that our packed three-month festival programme has started - encouraging children and young people across the North East to build their skills and confidence.
"The festival nurtures pupils’ curiosity and understanding about the diverse languages and cultures around them and the region’s connections to the wider world.
“There is still time for schools to register to take part - participating in the festival is free and helps inspire children and young people to study and progress languages at school and build intercultural understanding and awareness, which opens doors to wider education and career opportunities.”
The full festival programme is free and open to all schools and community schools across Newcastle, Northumberland, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Gateshead, Sunderland, and Durham.
The 2026 festival highlights for North East schools include:
The opportunity to explore languages such as sports with Futbol Lingo, a mini-Olympics with Newcastle University Sport and music in a live concert with Munich Supercrew.
Creative multilingual projects which enable children and young people across the region to express themselves through music, art, writing and world recipes.
Competitions in French (Crêpe design), Spanish (Spanish Omelette design) and German (Karneval Masks).
Classroom activities for children aged from 3 - 18 years with teaching resources relating to different languages and countries – with films, quizzes, games, storytelling and more.
Languages and Careers webinars, events, and resources to inspire young people to progress with languages.
World languages and cultures - activities, events and resources exploring the Arab World, Japan, China, South Asia, Africa, and South America.
Live lessons with Durham, Newcastle and Northumbria universities exploring different languages and cultures.
Teachers across the North East can still register for festival events, which are all free, running between January and March 2026 https://expressyourselfne.com/whatson/