Celebrating Languages, Cultures and Global Connections: The Power of Working in Partnership

Abstract

This paper examines how strategic partnership working can respond creatively to current constraints on language learning in UK (higher) education. Drawing on a case study of the collaboration between the Language Zone, a self-access language learning centre at the University of Leeds, and the 2025 Leeds City of Languages Festival, it explores how community-oriented, civic engagement initiatives can mitigate challenges related to funding pressures, declining language provision, and participation barriers. The paper outlines how the collaboration expanded access to informal language learning, enhanced institutional visibility, and fostered intercultural dialogue and a sense of belonging among students, staff and the wider public. It concludes with a reflection on sustainability and the replicability of this partnership model in comparable contexts.