Welcome to the Arab World – half day events for Y5-8 pupils in North East schools: 9.30am-12pm and 12.30-3pm on 23rd March at Newcastle Civic Centre
Find out more about the Arab world, language and culture in these fun, in-person interactive workshops at Newcastle Civic Centre for North East primary and middle schools.
The half day workshops for pupils in Years 5-8 in North East schools will take place at 9.30am-12pm and repeated at 12.30-3pm on 23rd March.
Registration is required and schools can bring up to 30 students per school. Early booking is recommended.
Who is it for?
- Pupils in Years 5-8 from North East schools (Newcastle, Northumberland, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Gateshead, Sunderland and Durham) – up to 30 places per school.
- Pupils do not require any prior knowledge or exposure to Arabic or the Arab World, but the session may be informative for all pupils, including those with Arabic heritage
When will it happen?
- The workshops will be held on 23rd March at Newcastle Civic Centre in Newcastle.
- Workshops will be held in the morning from 9.30am to 12.00pm and repeated in the afternoon at 12.30-3pm with the same content.
What is the activity?
Welcome to the Arab World workshop sessions are for Year 5-8 pupils to find out more about the language and culture of the Arabic speaking world.
The event will comprise of 3 sessions, one plenary session for everyone and two workshops, which students attend on rotation. These are all delivered by experienced and engaging professionals, all experts in their field and all able to connect meaningfully with children to create a wonderful set of experiences.
- An Introduction to the Arab World: A fun, interactive plenary session exploring the geography, people, cultures and traditions across the countries of the Arabic World with Jonathan Featherstone, Honorary Fellow, Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Edinburgh and Arabic Teacher at University of Cambridge
- An inspiring Arabic Language and culture taster session with Saleh Patel, an outstanding Arabic teacher from Horton Park Academy in Bradford, where children will learn some Arabic greetings and phrases and build their confidence to speak
- An engaging Arabic calligraphy session with Abu Yahya, an outstanding calligraphy artist who has featured on the BBC and has residencies teaching calligraphy, has delivered multiple exhibitions
The three presenters are returning to the Festival after previous successful Welcome to the Arab World events in Newcastle. Click here to see the short film about the event in 2025’s Festival.
The event has been funded through support from Qatar Foundation International and is provided free to schools in the North East.
How do I get involved?
To request up to 30 pupil places for your school, email info@expressyourselfne.com with:
- the name of the activity (Welcome to the Arab World)
- the name and address of your school
- lead contact and email
- the number of children and young people you would like to participate and their ages
- which of the events you would prefer to attend: morning session or afternoon session (we will seek to accommodate your preference)
Places will be allocated on a first come first served basis and there will be a waiting list if places become available.
You will be sent a confirmation email initially of whether you have or do not have places at the event. Those who do have places will be sent any additional details about the venue and attendance and photo permission forms, in advance of the event.
Further information and links?
- Learn more about who QFI is and how they can support you at www.qfi.org, and contact: communications@qfi.org.
- Click here to explore other Festival events and activities featuring Arabic, plus resources and support available from Qatar Foundation International and the North East Arabic Teaching Council.
- QFI supports the North East Arabic Teacher Council by cultivating a collaborative network for Arabic educators through professional development, workshops, and resource sharing. Based in Washington, D.C., QFI enables this ecosystem to expand access to quality instruction and amplify collective impact, directly fulfilling its mission: Advancing the value of teaching and learning Arabic as a global language.
- If you are an Arabic language school teacher based in the North East, have an interest in starting your career in Arabic teaching, or would like to introduce Arabic teaching into your school curriculum, please get in touch with Hassina Chachou or Caroline Afolabi-Deleu by emailing: languages@s4a.org.uk
Who is organising this?
These events have been organised by Newcastle City Council and International Newcastle in association with support and funding from Qatar Foundation International.
Contact: Declan Baharini, Festival co-ordinator: info@expressyourselfne.com
