Lord Mayor's Show: Praxis and the Lord Mayor’s Show embrace London’s global community

Praxis and the Lord Mayor’s Show embrace London’s global community

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John Stuttard, on the occasion of his election by the City Livery Companies to the role of Lord Mayor of London.

Notes for Editors

For further information, please contact Lesley Mair at the City of London Corporation on 020 7332 1754 or email: lesley.mair@cityoflondon.gov.uk

The Role of the Lord Mayor

The Lord Mayor of the City of London is an international ambassador for the UK financial services industry and spends up to 80 days a year traveling to around 20 countries to promote this industry and the Square Mile as a place of excellence in which to do business.

As head of the City of London the Lord Mayor is involved with local government and London-wide issues, ranging from the City of London’s work in the regeneration of neighbouring boroughs to transport and environmental issues which affect the City.

On behalf of the Sovereign and the Government, he also acts as host when the City of London provides hospitality for visiting heads of state and foreign dignitaries. In addition, the Lord Mayor provides a platform for Government Ministers to make keynote speeches. The Prime Minister attends the Lord Mayor’s annual Banquet at Guildhall, whilst the Bankers’ Dinner each June is the occasion for the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s annual keynote speech, known as the Mansion House Speech. The Easter Banquet, also held at Mansion House, is the major annual opportunity for all London’s diplomats to listen to the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary. Other Cabinet members and international business figures also value these opportunities.

The Lord Mayor also presides over meetings of the Court of Common Council and Court of Aldermen, and attends Livery events and charitable projects. He receives visiting overseas ministers and senior businessmen and keeps in close contact with City institutions and firms as well as travelling to other UK financial centres to keep in touch with regional economic activity. In his year of office he will make some 600 speeches on a wide variety of subjects from City financial matters to charity and patronage.

Some facts about the Lord Mayor’s Show

First Lord Mayor was elected in 1215; the Show is now in its 793rd year.
The procession is on Saturday 11th November, beginning at Mansion House at 11.02am. The Show takes place annually on the second Saturday in November.
At 5pm, the Lord Mayor will light the touch paper to the spectacular Lord Mayor’s Fireworks display on the River Thames between Blackfriars and Waterloo Bridge. Over a ton of fireworks will light up the sky in what is London’s largest annual fireworks display.
The word “float”, used to describe components of a parade or procession, is derived from the Lord Mayor’s Show when originally the exhibits would do just that, “float” along the Thames.
Pageantmaster Dominic Reid’s key tasks include overseeing the design, production and organisation of the Lord Mayor’s Show to ensure that it runs like clockwork including timings down to the second.
It has previously been painted by Canaletto, drawn by Hogarth, referred to by Shakespeare, described by Samuel Pepys and featured in Ian Fleming’s James Bond novel, Dr. No.
This year there will be 6,040 participants, 1550 military personnel, 249 vehicles from Morris Minors to open top buses, 71 floats, 14 bands of all shapes and sizes and 116 Military horses. The total length of the parade will be approximately 3 miles!

City of London Corporation

The ancient City of London Corporation has a 21st-century role supporting the business city as the world’s leading international financial and business centre. The City of London Corporation provides local government services for the City of London “Square Mile” at the heart of London â€“ but its responsibilities also extend far beyond the City boundaries and include paying for and running the Barbican Centre, Epping Forest, Hampstead Heath, and three wholesale food markets, as well as acting as the London Port Health Authority.

Press release published Friday 06 October 2006

Praxis, a refugee community organisation based in East London, has won £10,500 in funding from the City of London Corporation and an exclusive invitation to participate in the Lord Mayor’s Show, a London tradition which dates back nearly 800 years. Praxis, which has worked for over twenty years to settle refugees in Britain’s capital city, say involvement with the Show will help young people from these groups integrate with the wider community and provide them with arts resources, workshops and training.

In this year’s Lord Mayor’s Show, which hits the streets of London on the 11th of November, Praxis will explore the traditional music, dance and costume of Peru, Columbia and Uganda. Children and adults from East London have been working hard in the run-up to the Show choreographing dance routines and learning to play traditional instruments, including African drums.

Praxis supports individual new residents and facilitates the creation of new communities by providing support, language classes, skills training and cultural affirmation for displaced persons. The group will be a welcome addition to the Lord Mayor’s Show which is known for its vibrancy and diversity. Communities from all corners of London and all corners of the world join together year after year on this global stage to celebrate.

Emanuel Nunyambugo from Praxis said: “We are all very proud to be selected to take part in the Lord Mayor’s Show. The exposure will boost our profile and hopefully encourage our members to make a lifelong commitment to the arts.”

Dominic Reid, Pageantmaster for the Lord Mayor’s Show, said: “The electrifying mix of people and the diversity of the groups that take part in the show is what makes it so spectacular, as the Show, now in its 793rd year, continues to evolve to embrace all sectors of the community. More than 70 floats, 249 fascinating vehicles, 24 bands of all shapes and sizes, over 6,000 participants, City workers, military bands, and community groups like Praxis will all come together to produce a vibrant mix of sights, sounds and colours which will dazzle spectators worldwide.”

To be a part of the celebrations, just get to the City for the morning of Saturday 11th November and nab a place on the well-marked route. The procession will weave its way from Guildhall, in the heart of the City, through the historic streets of the Square Mile, passing Bank Tube, Mansion House and St. Paul’s Cathedral before continuing to the Royal Courts of Justice in the Strand.

For more details on the Lord Mayor’s Show, including route and timings, log on to www.lordmayorshow.org.

Credits

The Lord Mayor's Show is organised and directed by the Pageantmaster, Dominic Reid OBE. This site has been built and managed by spanner since its launch in 1996, and currently runs on a modified version of radiant and rails. It is entirely paid for by the kind sponsorship of the London Stock Exchange.

Get in touch

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to write to us. For press enquiries: Lesley Mair at the City of London press office. For general enquiries, or to take part: Anna Marra in the Pageantmaster's office. For problems with the website or suggestions for new pages: William Ross at spanner.