Collaging Multilingual Lives
On Sunday the 19th of October 2025, a hands-on, creative, workshop was hosted at Temple Moor High School, inviting people to explore the roles which language plays in their lives.
School of Education postgraduate researcher, Siying Shen, led ‘Language as a...?’, a creative public-engagement workshop at Temple Moor High School. The event was held in partnership with Leeds Chinese Community School, and fully funded by ESRC, as part of the 2025 Festival of Social Science.
The interactive workshop brought together young people, teachers, and families in Yorkshire and the Humber to reflect upon their multilingual experiences through open discussion and collage-making.
Using a variety of collage materials and magazine cut-outs, participants co-created expressive artworks exploring how languages shape their identities, communities, and daily lives.
The relaxed and collaborative atmosphere encouraged conversations about culture, family, and the role of language in strengthening cross-cultural connections.
It's very interesting and meaningful work. Attending this workshop has helped us rethink our way of teaching and learning.
