STUDENTS from Chester-le-Street primary schools will experience many different art forms from around the world.

Year six youngsters will attend the Bridging the Gap Festival at Park View School on Friday.

Sixty children will be working with year seven students and external artists to learn African song and dance, Chinese decorative arts, storytelling, henna hand decorating, Russian and Hindu Dance.

This week, the students will be taken for lunch to Chinatown, in Newcastle, visit a mosque and then shop at a number of Chinese supermarkets and Indian stores to purchase exotic ingredients for them to use in preparing a celebratory lunch.

The week-long festival is aimed at bridging the gap of understanding of different cultures from around the world, but also to bridge the gap for students making the move from primary to secondary school next term.

The activities planned will engage the pupils in a number of opportunities to learn and understand a variety of cultures.

At the end of the week a lunch will be served at the school, prepared by the children using the ingredients they bought during their shopping trip. The event will be attended by local MP Kevan Jones.

It will form part of an afternoon's celebration of lion dance and martial arts with special performances for parents and children to watch from 2pm.