AN event for schoolchildren held to celebrate Cumbria’s range of nationalities and heritages has been hailed a success by organisers.

Carlisle’s first Mini Culture Bazaar saw 100 pupils from four city primary schools take part in a series of art and craft activities, food tasting, dancing and story-telling.

Award-winning Romani story-telling Richard O’Neill spent the afternoon delivering captivating sessions to pupils from Robert Ferguson Primary School in Denton Holme, Inglewood Community Nursery and Infant School in Harraby, and Norman Street and Brook Street Schools.

Children and school staff also enjoyed African dance workshops with Joy Imem Dale.

The event took place at the University of Cumbria’s Fusehill Street campus, organised by the university’s Institute of Education and staff from Multicultural Cumbria (MCC).

It was planned to help highlight the close relationship of the two organisations, after the relocation of MCC’s offices to the Fusehill Street campus late last year.

Saj Ghafoor, chief officer of MCC, said: “I wasn't sure how the mini Culture Bazaar would be in this new environment but, as the schools came in, any anxiety disappeared with their smiley excited faces – and that was just the teachers and university student volunteers. There was such a positive vibe and that came from everyone involved. We hope to do more of this in the future with the University of Cumbria. The start of something big, determined and focussed. It was an all-round wonderful experience.”

The Mini Culture Bazaar took place last Monday. It marked the start of the final week of preparations for the 10th anniversary Carlisle Culture Bazaar that was taking place at Richard Rose Central Academy over the weekend.

In a first for University of Cumbria education and teacher training students, 15 of them made a 650-mile round trip and travelled from the university’s campus in London to take part in the weekend’s Carlisle Culture Bazaar.

Staying in halls at the university’s Brampton Road campus in Stanwix, the students were meeting visitors and families at the Culture Bazaar and encouraging them to take part in demonstrations of Henna painting and Bollywood dancing, as well as trying on an array of traditional costumes and outfits from around the world.

Ruth Harrison-Palmer, director of the Institute of Education at University of Cumbria, said: “The university is a champion for diversity across all of its operations and campuses be it in Cumbria, north Lancashire, London or on the international stage. The ‘Mini Culture Bazaar’ and the larger weekend event provided students from Carlisle and our London campus with unique opportunities to come together and break down barriers, making a real impact on their communities.”