A local true crime discussion group has grown into an independent Newcastle forum exploring crime, justice, psychology, media and investigation.
What began as a small group of people meeting in Newcastle to discuss cold cases has developed into a full-day event, bringing together experts, practitioners and curious minds from across the North East.
The True Crime Forum returns to Newcastle on Saturday 10 October 2026, for its second and largest edition so far.
The idea behind the Forum came from the community itself. True Crime Collab began with regular social meet-ups where people could sit around a table, discuss a case and explore the questions surrounding it. As the community grew, so did the appetite for something deeper.
There was also a gap closer to home. Talks, conferences and immersive events exploring true crime often meant travelling further south. We wanted to create something independently in the North East, shaped by the interests of the people who already came to our discussions.
This year’s Forum brings six very different subjects under one roof.
Attendees choose one morning and one afternoon workshop. Topics range from crime scene investigation and the media narratives surrounding the Lucy Letby case to violence against women and girls, the manosphere, the Peter Sutcliffe case and wildlife crime.
Among the sessions is a workshop from Workie Ticket Theatre, using performance to explore violence against women and girls. Former Northumberland National Park ranger Paul Bateman will take attendees into a very different area of offending, looking at wildlife crime and why training people to recognise what is happening in the countryside can make a difference.
The programme also moves beyond listening.
At the end of the afternoon, everyone comes together for a 90-minute interactive detective experience with The Detective Rooms. Participants will work through a case, examine information, make decisions and try to piece together what happened.
That mix of subjects is deliberate.
True crime can open conversations about criminal justice, psychology, policing, gender, media ethics, investigation and the way society responds to crime. The Forum was created as a place to explore those questions thoughtfully.
It is also deliberately independent. There is no large events company behind it. The Forum has grown from a local community, and that still shapes the atmosphere we want to create.
People can come because they already know a great deal about a subject, because they work or study in a related field, or simply because they are curious. No prior knowledge is needed.
The social side matters too. Many people attend events like this alone, so the day has been designed to make conversation easy. Lunch is included, workshops are relatively small, and the final investigation brings everybody back together.
For us, that is an important part of what the Forum has become: a place where curiosity about true crime can lead to conversation rather than sensationalism or fandom.
The True Crime Forum Newcastle takes place at the Maldron Hotel Newcastle on Saturday 10 October 2026 and is open to ages 16+.
Full-day tickets include two workshops, lunch and the Detective Experience.
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