CITY OF LONDON

You are in the section:
City of London > Services > Leisure and culture

Leisure and culture


The Square Mile is not just about business and finance. Within it are galleries, theatres, museums and concert halls to cater for all tastes. There is a wide range of sporting activity, a public leisure centre and the world-famous Barbican Centre. As well as being one of the most significant arts sponsors in the UK, the City of London owns and cares for a number of historic buildings and monuments.

The Square Mile has a long and fascinating history - the City of London itself is over 800 years old and, while fulfilling its role as a modern local authority, it respects and preserves its rich historical legacy. The ancient civic offices of the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs are still an integral part of the modern City of London, and traditions such as the Lord Mayor's Show and the Freedom of the City bring London's history to life.

The City of London Corporation welcomes and fully supports the London 2012 Olympics and the benefits that it will bring to London and the nation.  Find out how we plan to support and celebrate the Games.

Cultural Strategy

The City of London Corporation is one of the largest investors in the arts and culture in the UK. It owns, manages, sponsors or co-funds a diverse range of high quality services, including the Barbican Centre, the Museum of London, the City of London Festival, the London Metropolitan Archives, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, the Guildhall Art Gallery, Spitalfields Festival and the City’s libraries. It also commissions public art as part of its street scene strategy, and maintains many of London’s green spaces, such as Hampstead Heath and Epping Forest.

Led by the Chairman of the City Arts and Culture Forum, the City has for the first time developed a strategy embracing the entirety of its diverse arts and cultural offerings. The strategy aims to build joint working amongst the City’s arts and culture constituents, harmonise their strategic ideas and ambitions, and increase the number of partnerships and collaborations locally, nationally and internationally. It is the aim of the Forum that the City’s genuine support and patronage of the arts, culture, and heritage now offers a core fundamental message to sit alongside the promotion of the City as the world leader in international finance and business services.

The Strategy also highlights the diverse cultural activity and new developments in the City, such as the opening of the Museum of London’s spectacular new Modern Galleries, as well as the transfer of the renowned Centre for Young Musicians to the Guildhall School’s portfolio.

Download the Cultural Strategy here (1.69mb)

Arts and entertainment
Exhibitions
Fitness
Libraries
Local history and heritage
Museums and galleries
Records and archives
Sports, clubs and centres
Tourism and travel
Venues

Valid XHTML 1.0 Transitional