19 August 2009
Celebrate London's heritage and diversity at the Lord Mayor's
Show 2009
Event: Lord Mayor’s Show
Date: Saturday 14 November
Time: 11.00am – 2.00pm (Fireworks 5.00pm)
Cost: Free
Tube: Bank, Mansion House, St Paul’s
Public enquiries:
www.lordmayorshow.org
On Saturday 14 November, following in the footsteps of his
predecessors, the 682nd Lord Mayor of London’s first duty will be
to embark on a procession from Mansion House to St Paul’s Cathedral
as part of the Lord Mayor’s Show.
In a tradition dating back to 1215 and enshrined in the charter
of King John, each new Lord Mayor is required to swear a pledge of
allegiance to the Sovereign in front of the Lord Chief Justice and
Judges of the Queen’s Bench Division. An established highlight of
London’s social calendar, the Lord Mayor’s Show attracts hundreds
of thousands of visitors every year.
Behind the new Lord Mayor, in a procession extending more than
three miles, around 6,000 people from all across London will come
together to celebrate their city’s proud cultural heritage and to
revel in its diverse modernity. With more than 60 participating
organisations ranging from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home to the
British Red Cross Society, this year’s Show demonstrates exactly
why London is widely regarded the most cosmopolitan city in the
world and why the Square Mile continues to enjoy its reputation as
the pre-eminent centre for global finance.
Much more than a pageant, the Lord Mayor’s Show’s focuses on
local communities and encourages young Londoners to develop new
skills and make new friends by getting involved. In keeping with
this commitment, The City of London Corporation is providing an
opportunity for community groups from inner-London to take part in
this year’s Show by sponsoring the following four floats at a cost
a £15, 000 each.
Tropical Isles
Based in Hackney, their mission is to provide year round
carnival acts activities with a specific focus on developing the
skills and talents of young local people. Tropical Isles plays a
central role introducing Hackney's Youth Carnival showcase event
providing workshops in carnival costume making and performance and
dance. The organisation presents the youth carnival at Notting Hill
Carnival and other major international events and is one of the key
carnival youth groups in London.
City of London Academy (Southwark)
Co-educational state funded comprehensive secondary school
designated an Academy under the government City Academies
initiative. The Academy is based in Bermondsey and is playing its
part in regenerating this area of Southwark. The school serves the
residents of the City of London and the London Borough of
Southwark.
International Dance and Music Centre
The International Dance and Music Centre was established in 2003
as a voluntary community organisation based in Hackney. The aim of
the organisation is to promote cultural cohesion within the borough
by offering cultural dance, music, theatre and folk dance festival
training which allows members of the community to explore
employment opportunities that have been identified as important to
them. Children and young people are strengthened through increasing
their skills and gain a greater sense of their cultural
identity.
Streetwise Opera
The Streetwise Opera raises the self esteem and confidence of
homeless and vulnerably housed people through their engagement with
singing and drama workshops which leads them to making tangible
changes in their lives. It also seeks to challenge the general
public's view of this client group by staging professional operas
with the participants working alongside professional singers. The
organisation serves client groups across the United Kingdom as well
as at hostels and homeless day centres in the London area.
Ends
Notes to editors
This year marks the 794th Lord Mayor’s Show. The procession will
begin at 11.00am at the Mansion House following a military flypast.
It will travel from Mansion House, down Cheapside to St Paul’s
Cathedral, where the Lord Mayor will arrive at 12.10pm to be
blessed before proceeding to the Royal Courts of Justice on the
Strand. There he swears allegiance to the Sovereign. The procession
then makes its way back to the City, finishing at c.2.00pm.
At 5.00pm the Lord Mayor will light the touch paper to the
spectacular Lord Mayor’s Fireworks display on the river Thames,
between Blackfriars Bridge and Waterloo Bridge.
The Lord Mayor will be elected on Tuesday 29 September 2009 but
does not take office until the day before the Show, at a Silent
Ceremony held at the City’s historic Guildhall. A new Lord Mayor is
elected every year.
Press contact
For photographs, or for more information, please contact:
Loretta Lui
Senior Press Officer – the City of London Corporation
Tel: 020 7332 1528/ 0777 080 3589
loretta.lui@cityoflondon.gov.uk
Fax: 020 7332 1987