Celebrations spanning the whole borough kick off the first day of We Are Lewisham

This weekend saw Day One of Lewisham’s year as the Mayor of London’s Borough of Culture 2022 officially kick off.

It presented a flavour of the exciting year ahead – a year that is only possible due to the fantastic energy and creativity of Lewisham residents.

The day involved music dance and culture everywhere, and outdoor performances and events popping up across the day. There were creative challenges to get stuck into and the chance to connect online – bringing people together whatever the circumstances.

Programme launch of We Are Lewisham, at Rivoli Ballroom in Crofton Park, London. (Photo: PA, David Parry/ PA Wire)

The day hosted a huge range of activities, including performances, spectacular projections show, We Are Lewisham, well-known faces like Kae Tempest and InuaEllams, artists in residence across the borough and the UK premiere of ‘Identity Tapestry’ by US artist Mary Corey March.

There was also an array of interviews with the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, artists involved with the year like poet, Jacob Sam-la Rose, and the creatives behind the year, Lewisham Borough of Culture creative director, Gavin Barlow and Associate Director Vicki Amedume.

Lewisham is the Mayor of London’s Borough of Culture for 2022. London boroughs submit bids to receive more than £1m funding to deliver a programme of ambitious cultural activities celebrating the unique character of local people and places, and to develop a plan to make culture an integral part of the borough’s future.

‘Day One’ set the tone for the year, drawing on the borough’s rich history of activism, to bring communities together and inspire positive change. Residents were given the opportunity to ‘make their mark’ across the borough with key high impact pop-up performances and events happening indoors and outdoors, on the street, in schools and in venues throughout the day. With a call to action on the climate emergency and a celebration of the borough’s diverse communities, We Are Lewisham will put critical issues at its heart, amplifying trailblazing voices past and present and inspiring positive change by bringing together the borough’s neighbourhoods, communities, and stories.