The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has announced that Lewisham has been awarded the title of London Borough of Culture for 2021 with Croydon winning the accolade for 2023.
Both boroughs will be awarded £1.35m of funding to deliver a year-long programme of activities that will place culture at the heart of their communities and celebrate the unique character of local people and places.
The London Borough of Culture award, a key manifesto commitment, was launched by Sadiq in June 2017, inspired by the UK City and European Capital of Culture programme.
The award uses culture to empower communities and transform young people’s lives.
Lewisham‘s bid, Cultural Activism, sets out plans to inspire local people to take action on climate change. The borough will celebrate its diversity and build inclusivity with hundreds of events throughout the year.
This includes an artist-led tribute to The Rock Against Racism movement, a large-scale dance performance and a climate change carnival.
Lewisham Mayor Damien Egan tweeted: