The week the world came to school in city's Stanley Road

Some are fearful because of the misconception of the Press.

Others are only too keen to welcome you in.

The latter was my experience last week at Stanley Road Primary School in Worcester.

The school opened its doors to a variety of artists to hold its annual FUNPAC festival.

It was a welcome opportunity to celebrate the many different cultures visible in the school as well as many more from around the world.

"The world is coming to Worcester" the slogan promises and they have certainly got that right.

On entering the school it is obvious that children enjoy the hubbub of FUNPAC with excited faces and bubbly speech.

I was present at the reception held prior to the opening of the festival, which allowed performers, artists, teachers and other local faces to meet up and chat about their involvement.

Over tea and croissants it was easy to see that there is a great deal of enthusiasm ready for the kids to feed hungrily from.

One of the artists assured me that children have the opportunity to express themselves off canvas as well as on.

Reza Mirasadullah is an Iranian artist who has lived across New Zealand and worked with kids across that country and this.

His work is currently on exhibition at the Art House Caf Bar in the CrownGate Shopping Centre.

Looking through his portfolio it's clear he reaps a huge amount of satisfaction by attending festivals like FUNPAC.

"I've worked with children for a couple of years and they really enjoy painting me," said the 29-year-old.

"I prefer to do that with younger children because they haven't yet got the idea that they must paint on the paper.

"The results are really good.

"The children learn to come out and express themselves more. They realise they can come out of the frame and paint where they like.

"It's about them being more open."

Reza also uses poetry and storytelling in his work, encouraging the children to write their own endings.

He was just one of the many and varied professional artists invited in to the school.

There was also Gogi, a dancer from Barbados, who was showing children how to bust a move - Caribbean style.

Then there were the African drumming sessions with Drumlove, a Worcester group, and traditional Indonesian music from Metalwork Gamelan.

But it was not just about cultures from far and wide.

There were also visits from the Worcester Arts Workshop, Sian James was telling Welsh stories and the Malvern Third World Development Centre was also represented.

Neighbours of Stanley Road were also invited to join in the activities, with Unity House, Perryfields, Thornton House School and the Horizon Youth Centre taking part.

It's good to see that the spirit of community is still alive and kicking in our schools.

Headteacher Barbara Dunn said the festival was about developing good citizens for the future.

And she is quite right. While on the face of it FUNPAC is having a good time dancing, painting, playing music and the rest, it also spreads a message of unity.

The initials stand for Festival of UNited People Actively Celebrating.

It is about celebrating peoples' differences and joining together to do so.

Stanley Road Primary School already has a good reputation for celebrating different cultures and faiths. It is also well-known for its outstanding art projects (achieving an Artsmark Gold award last summer).

This annual festival is a prime example of showing how schools can help children develop in to better citizens.

The world is an ugly enough place as it is, with its wars, civil unrest and acts of terrorism.

There is enough hatred between cultures and more than enough lack of understanding. One only has to look at the riots in Bradford, Burnley and Oldham to realise that mutual appreciation of cultures is good for the community as a whole.

We don't want to suffer the same kind of violence that has blighted those towns as a result of racism.

If FUNPAC makes just a small difference to the future of Worcester as a peaceful city then it has worked.