Newcastle University Multilingual Choir takes centre stage at Day of the Dead celebration

The community-led event on Friday 23 October brought together more than 200 people to celebrate Day of the Dead through live music, dance, crafts, food and art. The choir's performance formed a central part of the evening, helping audiences engage with one of Latin America's most significant cultural celebrations and learn more about the different traditions surrounding remembrance, life and death. 

The event was organised by Northern Stage’s Latin American Events Committee, led by Communities Manager Yunuen Perez, who is originally from Mexico. Newcastle University's Centre for Latin America and the Caribbean helped promote the celebration. 

The evening welcomed guests from across the region, including Octavio Perales Sanchez from the Embassy of Mexico in the United Kingdom, and provided a welcoming space to celebrate the diversity of Latin America while creating new connections between community members who now call the North East home. 

Dr Josep Cru, Senior Lecturer in the School of Modern Languages at Newcastle University, said: 

‘Our choir celebrates a range of languages and cultures, so it was a wonderful opportunity to take part in such a vibrant celebration of Latin American culture and to help bring communities together through music.’ 

Newcastle University’s Multilingual Choir meets at 5.30pm on Wednesdays in Armstrong Building, G.13. Staff, students and members of the public are welcome and the only previous skill you need is a willingness to take part! To join, contact multilingual-choir@ncl.ac.uk.