Art, and its ability to help people rethink their values and behaviour, provides the focus for the first of three ‘Cultural Conversations’ in the Square Mile this year to celebrate arts and culture in the City.
The City of London Corporation, the governing body for the Square Mile, and The Genesis Foundation, which champions the work of young actors, directors, playwrights and musicians, are working on a series of talks that bring together leading figures from the UK’s cultural scene.
The free events, the first of which was held last week, form part of Lord Mayor William Russell’s mayoral theme – ‘Global UK – Trade, Innovation & Culture’, which he is promoting at home and abroad during his year in office.
The next talk, which will be held on 15 April, takes architecture, innovation, and place-making at its key themes, while the third talk on 30 September will look at the arts and philanthropy.
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Lord Mayor William Russell said: “Arts and culture have always been very close to my heart, because they promote a rich and vibrant creative economy and showcase the City, London and the UK as attractive places to live, learn, and work in, as well as visit.
“The talks will be a unique meeting of minds between these influential figures, all of them highly respected artists in their chosen field, and our audiences.”
John Studzinski CBE, Founder and Chairman of the Genesis Foundation, said: “For a healthy society, open debate and the challenging of orthodoxies are essential. The Genesis Foundation is delighted to support the Lord Mayor’s series of discussions that will examine critical areas of the intersection between the arts and society, and the role of art in transforming communities and individuals.
“As the Genesis Foundation approaches its 20th anniversary, its work with leading arts organisations has repeatedly shown this transformative power. We are delighted to present many of our partners in this series who will provide insights and experiences that will stimulate meaningful discussions which we hope will ignite debate beyond The Mansion House.”
Each event at The Mansion House are open to the public and will be ‘live streamed’ on the City of London Corporation’s Twitter account (@cityoflondon). Free tickets can be reserved here.
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