CATHEDRAL WILL NEVER BE A "DEN OF THIEVES"

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Cathedral will never be a "den of thieves"

I read with concern two contrasting letters in the Mercury about Leicester Cathedral (Mailbox, March 1).

The first was from Ann Stones about the "vintage fair" which takes place in the cathedral three or four times a year ("Inappropriate use for our cathedral").

The cathedral is, first and foremost, a house of prayer and sanctuary for all who wish to use it.

If people wish to come to pray when another event is happening, we make it clear to the organisers of the event (if there is a charge for admittance) there should be free admission for those who wish to enter to pray.

I apologise if this was not made clear to Ann Stones.

We also have a chaplain and other cathedral staff available during these events, should people wish to have a spiritual conversation with them.

Guild churches, such as St Martins, and cathedrals have always been used for a variety of events and we hope this helps a wide range of people to see it as "their cathedral", a place where all are welcome.

As well as its primary purpose for worship and prayer, the cathedral hosts lectures, concerts, organ recitals and is part of the Leicester Comedy Festival.

We have run series of silent films, a food fair and events associated with the Castle Park Festival among many other events.

We believe that whatever takes place in the cathedral is legal and honest and far from the type of corrupt and exploitative abuse of religion that led Jesus to drive the money changers and other merchants from the Temple in Jerusalem – those who had turned it into a "den of thieves".

Bill Merry wrote about the possibility of Richard III being reinterred in the proposed Cathedral Gardens instead of within the cathedral ("Memorial should be in the open").

Leicester Cathedral is open to the public every day from 8am to 6pm.

As Richard III was a Christian believer, and following the precedence for the burial of monarchs in this land, it seems most appropriate his final resting place should be in a place of Christian worship. We do not charge for entering the cathedral, nor will we do so, though the costs of keeping the cathedral open are nowhere near met by the voluntary giving of visitors, as generous as this sometimes is.

Barry Naylor, Acting Dean of Leicester

CITY'S STRONG MIXTURE OF OLD AND NEW

This editorial appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

City's strong mixture of old and new

What does "culture" mean? We ask the question because Leicester is launching a bid to become the UK's next City of Culture in 2017. We probably all have slightly different definitions of what we mean by the word culture. However, the Collins Dictionary defines it as: "The artistic and social pursuits, expression and tastes valued by a society or class."

The UK City of Culture then should be a place which is able to offer outstanding and highly valued artistic and social pursuits. And, given that this title is a national one, it should also be a place with a cultural mixture which represents and reflects the values of modern Britain.

On any assessment, Leicester has a very strong case.

We have seen in recent months the city's long and rich history gain national attention through the remarkable discovery of King Richard III's remains. Visitors to Leicester can learn about the king's life and death at a pivotal point in history, as well as the archaeological quest to locate his last resting place.

It is a story which has captured the imagination of people across the world and gives Leicester a cultural dimension that few other cities can match.

In addition, Leicester is not only a very old city, but also a very modern one. And this is best reflected in its multi-cultural community.

The city is home to many festivals and events reflecting the diversity of its population. The Diwali festival, for instance, is celebrated by thousands of people from many backgrounds. It is a demonstration of multi-culturalism in action.

There are many other cultural highlights: the huge success of the Curve theatre; Dave's Comedy Festival which celebrated its 20th anniversary this year; the classical music programme and other events at De Montfort Hall; and the dramatic recreation of the Easter story through Christ in the Centre, to name a few.

All of these elements demonstrate a thriving and varied cultural programme which appeals to a broad range of tastes.

Leicester has a great story to tell: through its history; its modernity; and its sheer range of venues and events.

We think the case for it to become the UK City of Culture is a compelling one and we wish all those involved in this bid every success.

CELEBRATING OUR CULTURE

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury: 

 

Celebrating our culture

Leicester is to launch an ambitious bid to become the UK's next City of Culture.

The city is hoping its multi-cultural history, track record of staging events such as Dave's Leicester Comedy Festival, Diwali celebrations and the Caribbean Carnival will help it secure the title in 2017.

Its bid will also draw on the recent high-profile discovery of Richard III's bones under a council car park.

Bid organisers hope the role could lead to an influx of tourists generating millions of pounds of wealth for the city. They say Leicester's time as the UK City of Culture would feature a large programme of festivals and participatory events.

Leicester is bidding for the title for 2017 as this is when the 2013 UK City of Culture and inaugural holder – Derry in Northern Ireland – will hand over the honour.

So far rivals include Plymouth and Aberdeen, who have already announced their bids.It is rumoured that Nottingham may also enter the competition.Leicester City Council is pledging £50,000 to cover the initial stage of the bid.

In May or June cities will be short listed and, should Leicester progress, a similar amount would be needed to complete the bid.

Businesses and sponsors are being sought to provide financial backing.

Chief executive of Curve theatre Fiona Allan, who is a member of the consortium planning the city's bid, said: "There would be so many benefits if we won. Firstly, I hope people would feel pride in this city. "To win would show we are confident in our cultural offer. There would be a significant media and tourism knock on.

"We have all the ingredients already.

"Leicester is one of the UK's most culturally diverse and interesting cities."

From our Roman history, medieval growth, industrial prosperity to today welcoming people from all over the world to our diverse and vibrant communities, Leicester has rich stories to tell. The king in the car park is just one of many."

While cultural organisations here like Curve already enjoy a global reputation, with significant investment having been made in Leicester's cultural infrastructure and the development of our creative industries, the time is ripe for Leicester to show its creativity to the world." It would be like the cultural equivalent of the Rugby World Cup." Ms Allan said a program of proposed events would be drawn up. She said: "Leicester is known as a city of festivals and there would be a large programme of festivals. We would want some real showcase events.

In recent years, new events – including Indian Summer, Leicester Fringe, Tales of the Riverside and the Green Light Festival – have appeared on the city's calendar alongside established favourites such as the Caribbean Carnival, Diwali, the Spark Children's Arts Festival and the comedy festival." I think people outside Leicester will be surprised by what we can offer," said Ms Allan.

"We need to change the narrative of the city which has been a bit negative in the past. We really underplay ourselves."

"There would also be participatory activities to get as many people as possible involved."

We don't want to announce too many of our good ideas to rival cities. I am sure we will see more bids coming out of the cupboard in the next few weeks."

Cities vying for the title have until April 30 to submit a bid for consideration by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. 

Leicester's bid will focus on its lively arts scene and highlight the breadth of cultural activity taking place, with workshops in museums and galleries, stand-up comedy in city centre pubs, international stars taking to the stage at Curve, and a Bollywood blockbuster – Mad, Madder, Maddest 2 – set to have its world premiere in the city in June.

Chief executive of the Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce Martin Traynor, is also a consortium member. He was part of a Leicester delegation to Derry last year when the bid was being touted.

He said: "We are convinced this is something Leicester could do very well. We already have a rich multi-cultural offering."

We have suffered from a low international and national profile but that can change."

Richard III is already changing that and becoming UK City of Culture would be another springboard with massive potential impacts."

Leisure and tourism is worth £1.4 billion per annum to the city and county. If we could increase that by just one per cent that would be £1.4 million and could create hundreds of jobs."

City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby, who is leading the consortium, added: "Becoming UK City of Culture would bring huge benefits to Leicester, giving us an opportunity to highlight the city's history and reinforce its identity, while providing a much-needed boost to the local economy."

A city council spokeswoman said: "In 2008, Liverpool was the European Capital of Culture – a title that business leaders estimate was worth an extra £200 million to the city's economy."

Although the UK City of Culture competition is on a much smaller scale, it's clear that the opportunities for the winner are there to be seized."

The winner will be announced by the Government in November. 

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North and south – the two rivals, so far

Aberdeen, nicknamed The Granite City, is one of Leicester's rivals for the capital of culture title.

It is renowned as an oil city after the discovery of vast deposits under the North Sea.

It is home to a maritime museum, an art gallery, a number of cinemas and hosts the Aberdeen International Youth Festival, said to be the world's largest arts festival for young performers.

The city football team won the European Cup Winners Cup and the European Super Cup in 1983, under Sir Alex Ferguson, and has won the Scottish Premier League four times.

Aberdeen Lord Provost George Adam said: "Aiming to win the City of Culture title in 2017 presents Aberdeen with a tremendous opportunity and a terrific target to aim for.

"A proud city like Aberdeen should be aiming high and I have no doubt that everyone will pull together."

Aberdeen City Council chief executive Valerie Watts said: "Aberdeen already plays on a world stage in the competition for business and investment – and bidding to win the City of Culture title will be a huge benefit in terms of putting ourselves firmly on the international map."

The quality of life here in Aberdeen is already very high. We can all now work together to build on that to make the city even better – and to let the whole world know."

The south coast city of Plymouth, in Devon, is also hoping to clinch the title.

The old naval base is home to the annual British Fireworks Championship and is also home for the Royal Marines.

It has a range of cinemas, arts centre and galleries.

Plymouth's bid leaders hope that if they win, the city could host top-class events such as the Brit Awards, the Turner Prize and the BBC Sport Personality of the Year ceremony.

Plymouth Culture Board executive director Abby Johnson told The Herald newspaper: "I believe Plymouth has got such potential. People can help by simply talking up the city and talking up their cultural experiences."She said winning would create jobs, boost creative industries and see visitors' spending rise, adding: "Liverpool got £8 back for every £1 it put into the European Capital of Culture bid."Plymouth City Council and Plymouth University have each pledged £20,000 towards the bid on the condition the £40,000 handout is matched by the private sector.

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Leicester City's Cultural Diary

The main events in Leicester’s cultural calendar include:

Dave’s Leicester Comedy Festival, which celebrated its 20th anniversary this year.

The February event – which is thought to boost the local economy by £2 million – annually sees appearances from both world-famous performers and some of the funniest up-and-coming comics, at venues across the city.

Leicester’s Caribbean Carnival has brought the city centre to life every August since 1985, with the exception of 2006.

The celebration attracts thousands of visitors with its colourful city centre parade, street dancing and music.

Leicester’s annual Diwali celebrations are thought to be the largest outside India.

Huge crowds flock to the city’s Golden Mile. The Hindu Festival of Lights began last year with 35,000 watching a lights switch-on spanning a kilometre along Melton Road.

Leicester Pride is popular celebration of the city’s gay, lesbian and bisexual and transgender communities held in late August or early September each year.

Marchers in weird and wonderful costumes parade through the city centre before heading up to Victoria Park for a fairground and concert.

Christ in the Centre is the city’s dramatic recreation of the Easter story, with Jesus’s crucifixion and resurrection being played out before thousands of people in Humberstone Gate.

It has become established as one of the biggest and most effective pieces of Christian celebration staged in the country.

LAUGHS FOR ALL AS EAST MEETS WEST

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Laughs for all as East meets West

It's a universal language, laughter. Just ask Raj Brahmbhatt, actor, writer, director and producer of the Gujarati Comedy Group (Leicester), writes Gemma Collins.

He has been performing at Leicester's comedy festival since 2004 with his community sketch club and has built up quite a following.

"About 700 people came to see the shows last year," he says, proudly.

"Life can be tough, so it's nice to create a bit of light relief for the people of Leicester."

The group speak Gujarati. But that doesn't make this an exclusive gig, says Raj.

"Sure we're doing this for the Asian community, but people who cannot speak the language will understand when something is funny by the way we move or our expression. Laughter is for all."

It also has something to do with the fact the Gujarati Comedy Group pride themselves on addressing the city's diverse community with funny stories and sketches based on everyday situations.

Such as cross-cultural marriages and elderly Indians refusing to speak English.

Raj came to England in 1990 and couldn't speak a word of English.He was a lawyer in India but had done extensive acting both on stage and screen.

He went to night school and learned English as a foreign language.

"I used to go in to Leicester Market and just listen to people chatting and shouting," he says.

"It's traditional thinking in modern times, and always with a message," explains Raj. "We get our inspiration from life."

The group all have day jobs, as accountants, teachers, business people and such like.

"It's East meets West, featuring a lot of comedy material and a ridiculous number of costume changes.

"We've been working on this set for about five months," says Raj.Like all good regular gigging comedians, you can expect lots of new material from the Gujarati Comedy Group.

"Our regulars demand it," he laughs.

"We won Best Newcomer Community Group at the festival in 2005. Who knows what the future holds?"

Info: The Gujarati Comedy Group perform on Saturday at 7pm and Sunday at 4pm, in Belgrave Neighbourhood Centre, Rothley Street, Leicester.

DON'T LET PROTESTS TEAR OUR CITY APART

This open letter from City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby to the people of Leicester appears on the front page of today's Leicester Mercury:

Don't let protests tear our city apart

Hundreds of people are expected to arrive in our city today to join marches led by the English Defence League and Leicester Unite Against Fascism.

There are very few people who want these marches to take place. But, fortunately, we live in a democracy and people have a right to demonstrate.

This means that we have to allow them to come here, but can impose controls on what they do.

In October 2010, marches were banned but there were demonstrations that brought the city centre to a standstill for much of the day.

This time, by allowing controlled marches with very strict conditions, we believe we can greatly reduce the disruption and get things back to normal much more quickly.

Leicestershire police have been working incredibly hard to prepare for today.

I would like to commend Chief Superintendent Rob Nixon, the city centre commander, and all of those involved for their professionalism and expertise.

I would like to ask all of our citizens – young and old – to remember these marches will be over in a couple of hours.

We must not do anything that will allow them to pull our communities apart or have any kind of lasting impact.

I also call on those planning to join the marches to follow the conditions that have been set by the police for your safety, and to show you can exercise your democratic right in a peaceful way.

All at the council have been working very closely with the police to ensure that in the main it will be business as usual this weekend.

Saturday night sees the second night of Leicester Comedy Festival – one of the biggest and best events in the city's cultural calendar.

Several hundred people will be coming to the city for this, and they are very welcome.

This is what Leicester is all about – a warm, friendly and peaceful city with something for everyone.

Please come into the city and enjoy the shows, the shops and restaurants and let's ensure today is remembered for the right reasons.

INDEPENDENT ADVISORY GROUP DISCUSSES EDL DEMO

In Leicester Town Hall this afternoon, where Leicester City Council has called a meeting of the Independent Advisory Group to discuss the proposed demonstration by the English Defence League (EDL) and counter-demonstration by Unite Against Fascism (UAF) in Leicester city centre on Saturday 4 February.

This meeting, which takes place in the Council Chamber, includes much the same dramatis personae who attended the meeting last Thursday in the Mayor’s office at New Walk Centre: City Mayor, Sir Peter Soulsby, and Leicester City BCU Commander Chief Superintendent Rob Nixon are out front. Dotted around the chamber are Deputy Mayor, Cllr Rory Palmer, Deputy Mayor; Assistant Mayor and Joint Cabinet Lead for Community Cohesion, Cllr Sarah Russell; Assistant Mayor and joint Cabinet Lead for Community Cohesion (and Chair of Leicester Council of Faiths), Cllr Manjula Sood; several City Council officers; and representatives of VCS organisations and other stakeholders, such as:

• African Caribbean Citizens Forum
• British Hindu Voice
• Federation of Muslim Organisations
• Leicester Hebrew Congregation
• Leicester Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Centre
• Leicester LINks
• The Race Equality Centre
• St Matthews Community Social Centre
• Sikh Welfare and Cultural Society
• Somali Development Services
• Voluntary Action LeicesterShire

The meeting has been called so that the Mayor and Police can give us a position statement: to tell us where we are now and what's in the pipeline over the next few days. In the spirit of open sharing and transparency, our part is to be critical friends. The meeting is conducted under the Chatham House Rule.

All leave and rest days have been cancelled for Leicestershire Police officers on Saturday 4 February. Rob Nixon assures us that all neighbourhood officers will be on their usual beats that day and that no one will be extracted to work in the city centre. For the first time, we discuss how the situation is being addressed in the county, not just the city.

Iconic buildings and sites throughout city and county have been identified by the authorities and special efforts will be made to ensure their security.

Older people throughout the city feel threatened by the impending event. Police and City Council are doing their best to counteract that feeling and are making visits to day centres, care facilities and nursing homes to reassure residents, staff and volunteers. Age UK in Humberstone Gate was closed on the day of the last demonstration and counter-demonstration. This made those older people who depend on Age UK for regular services feel vulnerable. And, of course, the most notable act of destruction during the social disturbances in the summer was the torching of Age UK's minibus, which doesn't help them feel any safer this time round.

The Tigers are playing at home that day against Newcastle Falcons, with 18,000 fans expected to turn out for the match. Police are in discussions with the Tigers about shifting the kick-off time from 1500.

Not for the first time, we recognise the importance of keeping the heart of the city beating on the day. Last time, the city centre was locked down for 24 hours, starting 1800 the evening before. Videos posted on YouTube show the city centre deserted save for those involved in the demonstration and counter-demonstration, which gives the whole event a surreal and uncanny appearance. We don't want that to be the image of Leicester that stays in people's minds. Friday 3 February is the first night of Dave's Leicester Comedy Festival. People should be able to enjoy themselves without worrying about what might happen the next day.

There will be another meeting of the Independent Advisory Group next week, when more details will be known about what's expected to happen on the day.

After the meeting, I talk with Urban Canon Barry Naylor about the vigil to be held in Leicester Cathedral on the Friday evening immediately before the day of the demonstrations. It sounds like it's set to be a genuinely inter-faith event, I'm glad to say. I offer my services to help out in any way I can.