A full day of expert-led conversations, specialist sessions and interactive experiences exploring crime, investigation, justice, media and harm.
A full day of serious conversation, live experience and expert insight.
True Crime Forum Newcastle brings together a range of voices from across crime and justice for one full day of talks, discussions, workshops and interactive experiences.
This is a space for people who want to engage with true crime through informed conversation, careful thinking and direct access to people with knowledge, professional experience and lived perspective.
Throughout the day, you will move through different subjects, different ways of thinking and different kinds of sessions. Some are reflective. Some are practical. Some invite you to ask difficult questions. Others place you inside the experience itself.
The Forum is designed to be immersive, thoughtful and engaging from beginning to end.
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The Forum is built around meaningful conversation rather than spectacle.
We create space for ideas, expertise and experience to be heard on their own terms.
Curiosity drives the day.
We believe people should be able to ask questions, challenge assumptions and explore difficult subjects openly and intelligently.
Crime involves real people, real consequences and complex systems.
The Forum approaches these issues with seriousness, care and respect.
Spend the day inside the conversation.
The Forum offers something rare: the chance to spend a full day exploring crime and justice through multiple perspectives, in one room, with the people leading the conversation right in front of you.
This is not a single talk or a short panel. It is a carefully shaped day that gives you access to a wider experience.
Whether you are drawn to investigation, forensic work, psychology, ethics, media, victim perspectives or lesser-heard forms of crime, the Forum gives you the opportunity to explore those interests in a richer and more connected way.
Swipe through the conversations and keep the ones you’d want to be in the room for.
No commitment. Just see what catches your interest.
“How much does media coverage shape what we believe about a criminal case?”
Join our guest speaker for a talk on Lucy Letby, journalistic ethics, and how reporting changes the public narrative.
“How do we create space for experiences of violence that are often difficult to communicate?”
An interactive workshop led by JoJo Kirtley exploring how theatre can challenge domestic abuse, coercive control and post-separation abuse.
“What really happens after investigators cross the crime scene barrier?”
Dionne Watson takes you under the barrier tape of real investigations. An insightful and practical hands-on workshop!
“How do online communities shape attitudes towards women, power and violence?”
Drawing on psychology and evolutionary theory, Dr Rebecca Owens explores the appeal of the manosphere and preventing harm.
“What can one of Britain’s most notorious cases tell us about investigation, victims and public memory?”
Join investigative journalist Tanita Matthews for a delve into Sutcliffe’s offending history and crimes that were never fully resolved.
“What does wildlife crime actually look like in Britain, and how is it investigated?”
Follow former Park Ranger Paul Bateman through the woodlands and learn practical observation to solve crimes hidden in plain sight.
“Could your team follow the evidence and solve the investigation?”
An interactive, team-led detective challenge! Examine evidence, follow leads, test theories and see if you can crack the case.
← Left arrow: Skip • Right arrow: Interested →
Based on the conversations you chose to keep.
Official 2026 Programme & Workshop Line-up
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How much does media coverage shape what we believe about a criminal case?
Join our guest speaker Senior Lecturer in Journalism (Theory and Practice) and Director of Education at Newcastle University for a critical talk on Lucy Letby and the media narrative.
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How do we create space for experiences of violence that are often difficult to communicate?
An interactive workshop led by Founder and Co-Artistic Director of Workie Ticket Theatre, JoJo Kirtley, exploring how theatre examines domestic abuse, coercive control and post-separation abuse.
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What really happens after investigators cross the crime scene barrier?
Delivered by experienced CSI, Mass Disaster Response consultant and podcast host Dionne Watson. Take a hands-on look under the barrier tape of real investigations. Get ready to get hands-on!
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How do online communities shape attitudes towards women, power and violence?
Drawing on psychology and evolutionary theory, Dr Rebecca Owens explores the need for belonging, identity and social value that draws men and boys in, and how to prevent isolation and harm.
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What does wildlife crime actually look like in Britain, and how is it investigated?
Follow former Park Ranger Paul Bateman on a journey through the woodlands. Take part in practical observation exercises and see how everyday awareness protects UK wildlife.
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What can one of Britain’s most notorious cases tell us about investigation, victims and public memory?
Join journalist and documentary producer Tanita Matthews for an investigation into her book with retired detective Chris Clark (True Crime Awards 2025), examining Sutcliffe's uninvestigated crimes.
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Could your team follow the evidence and solve the investigation?
Work together to examine evidence, follow leads, test theories and make decisions as a case unfolds. Part challenge, part team experience, discover if you have what it takes to crack the case.
The Forum does not end with listening.
Later in the day, attendees will step into an interactive experience that invites you to think, question, interpret and participate more directly.
A chance to move from audience member to active participant.
One ticket. The full Forum experience.
Where the Forum began.
The first Forum brought together a room full of people ready to listen, question and engage.
It set the tone for what this event could become: thoughtful, welcoming, wide-ranging and full of conversation.
This year, the Forum returns with a broader programme, more voices, more experiences and an even stronger sense of purpose.
A look back at the first True Crime Forum.
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If this is your kind of conversation, you will feel it in the room.
The Forum is for people who want more than a passive event experience.
It is for people who enjoy asking questions, listening closely, thinking critically and spending time with subjects that deserve more care and depth.
Come on your own, come with a friend, or meet others there. By the end of the day, you will have moved through a wide range of conversations, ideas and experiences, all within one carefully built event.
The True Crime Forum is a full-day event in Newcastle bringing together conversations, workshops and interactive experiences around crime, investigation, justice, media and harm.
At Maldron Hotel Newcastle.
Saturday 10 October 2026.
Tickets are £89.
Your ticket includes access to the full day’s programme, including all main sessions, conversations, workshops and interactive experiences.
No. The Forum is open to anyone with an interest in these subjects.
Yes. Many people attend independently, and the Forum is designed to feel welcoming and social.
Yes. Audience engagement is an important part of the day.
The Forum covers serious subjects and may include themes some attendees find sensitive. More detailed session information will be available on the programme page.
Maldron Hotel Newcastle • Full Day Pass (£89)
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Get the full interactive session breakdown & inquiry prompts.
The Workshop Guide has been sent to your email.
Maldron Hotel Newcastle • 09:00 - 17:30
Where the Forum began in Newcastle.
The first Forum brought together a full room of participants, forensic specialists, investigative journalists, and legal minds for thoughtful, honest conversation.