World Voices

NEAD maintains a wide network of contacts with artists and performers who can do schools’ work — musicians, storytellers, puppeteers, dancers, artists and craftspersons and others — as well as people who can come into both schools and other organisations to run interactive workshops on development issues. The database below contains professional World Voices.

NEAD has also worked closely with trainee World Voices (often with previous teaching experience in other countries), through our We Are Norfolk projects, supporting them to cultivate effective and development concept aware sessions. Trainee World Voices are available to be booked through NEAD schools workers directly, they are NOT included on the database below. Currently these include representatives from Eastern Europe, Africa, and Asia.

NEAD is not responsible for the CRB status of 'World Voices'. You must check this with them directly.

Search for a World Voice

Countries and cultures brought to life in your classroom

World Voices is a service run by NEAD that aims to:

• Enable young people and their teachers to learn about other countries and cultures, either directly from people whose cultural heritage is rooted in other countries, or from those with broad knowledge and experience of these places.

• Develop global citizenship, by showing the interdependence of our world, addressing local & global sustainable development issues, promoting multicultural awareness and fostering anti-racist attitudes.

• Bring to life studies of particular countries and cultures, thus contributing a perspective often not found in mainstream texts to a range of global issues.

In an area such as Norfolk with a small ethnic minority population — less than 3.7% recorded in the last census — World Voices presents a rare opportunity for your students to meet and learn from people with a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives.

Search our World Voices database

Each World Voice has his or her own page on the NEAD website, describing who they are, what they can bring to your classroom, and how to contact them. Most are professionals and you will have to pay a fee. You should contact them as far in advance as possible, allowing at least one month before the visit. Please contact all World Voices direct.

UEA Student Global Messengers

See also the UEA's Volunteer World Voices project.

Recommended reading on inviting a World Voice to your school

If you are planning to invite a visitor in, we recommend you refer to a handbook called Timanyane: Let’s know each other — Making the most of school visits by artists from around the world prior to their visit. It will help you identify how to link the visit to the curriculum, with step-by-step guidelines, and activities for before and after the visit. This resource is available to borrow from NEAD, or can be bought from Oxfam.