The Cultural Programme, 'Welcome to the North East', is a series of bespoke projects developed with artists by producers Modular Projects. The programme will be presented at the Opening Ceremony, the competition venues and the athletes' village throughout the sporting tournament.

Below are some of the key events to look out for.

Launch event - 'Dance Bites'
Performance Square - outside The Sage Gateshead
Thursday 2 September, 11.30am

Children from across NewcastleGateshead will take part in a contemporary dance performance inspired by one of the 10 sports represented in the Sainsbury's UK School Games as part of the Cultural Programme.

Led by choreographer Dora Frankel and members of her dance company, children from Chopwell Primary School, Whickham Parochial Primary School, Gateshead's Mobile Youth Project, Lord Lawson School, St. Peter's Primary School, Harlow Green Primary School, Ryton Comprehensive School, Lobley Hill Primary School, St Phillip Neri RC Primary School and Bill Quay Primary School in Gateshead will perform a dance piece live on Performance Square (next to The Sage Gateshead).

The 10 contemporary 'Dance Bites' come together to create a single 30 minute contemporary dance piece that is lively, bright, highly creative as well as being full of youthful energy.

Opening ceremony at Gateshead International StadiumThursday 2 September at 8.30pm

The opening ceremony of the Sainsbury's UK School Games includes key components of the Cultural Programme which won't disappoint, however we are leaving it all as a surprise.

The Ceremony will commence at 8.30pm and tickets can be purchased by calling 0844 847 1658 or visiting www.ticketweb.co.uk/INFO/UKSCHOOLGAMES

'Cheer Challenge'
Gateshead International Stadium, Sunderland Aquatic Centre & Athletes Village
All Day - Friday 3, Saturday 4, Sunday 5 September

Cheer Challenge is a mobile-phone game that lets you get in on the action!

This voice based game will pit the athletes, their families and the watching audience against each other to see who can deliver the loudest cheer. The interactive game, developed by a local digital media team based at Newcastle University's Culture Lab, works with the microphones in mobile phones, so anyone with a mobile can participate.

People can register their cheer, and their scores based on the decibel level will give an alternative results table to the sports competitions.

This voice based game invites you - athletes, families and fans - to compare your cheers. Can you deliver the loudest, longest, best cheer?

Call 0845 805 5722 to register your cheer now!
(Calls are charged at local offpeak rate of 12p/min and will last no more than 1 minute)

Once you're done you'll get a text message with your score! Be sure to check the display boards in the Athlete's Village, Gateshead International Stadium, or Sunderland Aquatic Centre, to see how you measure up to other Cheer Challenge contenders. Anyone with a mobile can participate!

Cheer Challenge can be played via your mobile phone at all the Sainsbury's UK School Games sporting venues:

Gateshead International Stadium Neilson Road, Gateshead, NE10 0EF

Gateshead Leisure Centre Alexandra Road, Gateshead, NE8 4JH

Northumbria University City Campus Sports Central, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8ST

Newcastle University Longbenton Sports Ground, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE12 8AD

Leazes Park Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4LR

Sunderland Silksworth Community Pool Tennis & Wellness Centre, Silksworth Lane,
Sunderland, SR3 1PD

Sunderland Aquatic Centre Stadium Park, Sunderland, SR5 1SU

Cheer Challenge is a Culture Lab, Newcastle University project developed by Joey Scully, Jessica Cheng, Richard Bate and Jamie Allen.

'Message Equals Medium'
Sunderland Aquatic Centre, Friday 3 September, Afternoon
Gateshead International Stadium, Saturday 4 September , Afternoon
Athletes Village, Sunday 5 September, Morning

Visit the 'Message Equals Medium' kiosk which offers a unique service where individual and treasured text-messages are physically preserved forever, as unique mementos of the Games free to take away. Further information regarding 'Message Equals Medium' is to be found here: messagemedium.wordpress.com and the project can be followed on Twitter here: twitter.com/msgmed

John O'Shea is an artist who works with technology to ask new and interesting questions. He is co-director of the artist collective Re-Dock (www.re-dock.org) whose practice combines aspects of digital media, interface design and storytelling.

'Rollapaluza'
Leazes Park, Friday 3 September, Afternoon
Gateshead International Stadium, Saturday 4 September , Afternoon

Rollapaluza is an exciting and interactive Roller Racing challenge where competitors race against each other on specially designed static cycles, 'Roller Rigs'. The experience is fast-paced and competitive with pumping music, encouraging participants to emcee and commentate the racing.

Caspar Hughes and Paul Churchill run Rollapaluza, and are the crew responsible for the resurgence of roller-racing, a very popular sport in the UK back in the 1940s and 1950s, in the UK.
www.rollapaluza.com