LSBU at the heart of Southwark St. George’s Day Festival Celebrations
LSBU is contributing to a community festival in Southwark, celebrating St. George's Day with a programme of free events for the publicLondon South Bank University (LSBU)'s engagement with civic life in Southwark continues with the university's participation in the St. George in Southwark Festival 2015, a community celebration of St. George's Day to be held at the church of St-George-the-Martyr, Borough High Street, on 23 April.
The St. George in Southwark Festival celebrates the legend of St. George from a multi-faith perspective and unites Southwark's diverse community in a programme of free events for the public.
This year's festival co-ordination is led by BA Arts and Festival Management student Andrea Smith. Andrea's work for the festival is an industry placement embedded in her LSBU course, designed to teach students valuable practical and professional skills demanded by employers. Throughout the project Andrea has been supported by Reverend Jonathan Sedgwick, LSBU Chaplain and Priest-in-Charge of St-George-the-Martyr, and other festival partners, including Southwark Council, Borough Market and the Blackfriars Settlement charity.
The Mayor of Southwark, Councillor Sunil Chopra, and faith and community leaders in the borough will be welcomed to the festival, which includes a performance by Chinese Dragon dancers from LSBU's Confucius Institute. Other events include a theatrical interpretation of the legend of St. George and the Dragon by the Lion's Part theatre company as well as an address from the former Home Secretary David Blunkett, on the subject of contemporary English identity. The occasion additionally marks the launch of St. George's Community Café for which refreshments have been contributed by LSBU's National Bakery School. The event will also be stewarded by LSBU Student Ambassadors.
Andrea Smith reflects on her experience of the project to date: "One of the great things about studying at LSBU is its location at the heart of London's creative community. Working on the St. George in Southwark Festival has brought me into contact with many inspiring people in the industry and has given me a really good understanding of how culture and the arts can be applied in a community-programming context. It's also been great to explore how a historical tradition like that of the legend of St. George can be made relevant to audiences today."
The St. George in Southwark Festival 2015 runs from 1pm on Thursday 23 April at the Church of St-George-the-Martyr, Borough High Street, London SE1 1JA.