Newcastle’s main shopping street will have a nautical look when a colourful parade brings a six month tall ships festival to a conclusion.

Children from over 40 schools will be taking part in the Big Oceans Parade which will start at Old Eldon Square at 10.30am on Friday, 8 July.

Around 30 children from each school will take part in the parade which is the culmination of the Big Oceans project which was launched last December to celebrate the arrival of this month’s Tall Ships’ Races.

The children will be using drumming and singing skills they have been learning from musicians including experts at the Sage Gateshead.

Children will also display giant sculptures and models they have made in workshops with local artists.

The parade will continue up Northumberland Street and will gather at Exhibition Park when festivities will start at around 11.30am.

Once the children reach Exhibition Park they will continue the celebrations and enjoy theatre shows which have been written and performed by some of the children with Live Theatre and Northern Stage.

The parade will come to a close when Councillor David Faulkner, Executive Member for Culture, Heritage, Libraries and Sport at Newcastle City Council announces the winners of the Big Oceans competition A School in Every Port.

The four winners from nine finalists will have used a creative combination of art, music and presentations to illustrate the ships they adopted during the Big Oceans project.

The project has received support from Emmerdale stars John Middleton and Charlie Hardwick, who helped to judge the nine finalists when she visited them all this week.

Councillor David Faulkner said:  “This has been a fantastic project which has really fired the imagination of our city’s young people.  I hope they can use this experience and play an active part in welcoming their adopted crews to the Tyne during the Tall Ships’ Races.”

The Big Oceans Project also involves Fly the Flag where each school has been asked to produce a banner or flag to decorate the Big Oceans Parade and line the Quayside during the Tall Ships race

Other initatives include Get Your Oar which will give children an opportunity to take part in a water sports session at Newburn Water Sports / Leisure Centre

Every school has also been invited to build a fully functioning miniature junk boat that will be paraded at Exhibition Park Lake.