COVENTRY will celebrate its unique title as ‘City of Peace and Reconciliation’ this November, as the annual Peace Festival returns.
A month long programme of events, talks and shows will also include an awarding of the Coventry Peace Prize.
During the festival, the Rising Global Peace Forum will host talks from world leaders such as former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and former Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt.
Baroness Shami Chakrabarti will deliver the keynote speech at a gala dinner on November 14.
Heritage group Historic England will put on a free light show, ‘Where Light Falls’, to be projected on to Coventry Cathedral, telling the story of the city and its people.
This outdoor performance takes place from November 14 to 16 November with repeated illuminations and projections from 5pm to 9pm each evening.
Coventry Cathedral will hold a performance of Edward Elgar’s choral masterpiece ‘Dream of Gerontius’ on November 9., featuring the Southbank Sinfonia and internationally renowned soloists Catherine Wyn-Rogers, Robert Murray and Thomas Allen.
The Remembrance Sunday Service and Parade takes place at the War Memorial Park on November 10 at 10.45am. This is followed at 3pm by the Communal Grave Service at London Road Cemetery also remembering those who lost their lives during both World Wars.
Taking place on Armistice Day (Monday November 11) the Poppy Drop in West Orchards Shopping Centre takes place at 11am. During the two-minute silence 4,000 poppies drop from the dome of the shopping centre to commemorate the fallen.
The Peace Festival is a chance for the many faiths, cultures and communities that flourish within Coventry to get together and highlight all the ongoing work alongside special events to spread the word about Coventry’s role in peace and reconciliation worldwide.
Councillor Abdul Salam Khan, Deputy Leader, Coventry City Council, said: “Local people and groups promote peace and understanding all year round in Coventry, and the annual peace festival helps to highlight the city’s commitment to this. One of the key aims of this festival is to inspire others to engage and celebrate this really important ongoing work.
“Many people put a lot of time and effort into the festival. I am sure festival visitors will be able to find something in the programme of interest and take the opportunity to find out more about the importance of bringing communities together.”
