The Mayor’s Advisor On Arts & Culture, who recently claimed that Manchester in the early ’80s was something of a cultural desert, is to answer questions from the GLA Economic Development, Culture, Sport & Tourism Committee on Wednesday 21 October.
Once regular events such as RISE and the Trafalgar Square Festival have been cancelled and others, such as Black History Month, have just disappeared off the calendar with no explanation.
Very odd, considering that during Young People’s Question Time on 17 September, the Mayor’s Ambassador for Young People, James Cleverly said:
I think black history, we have Black History Month coming up next month and I think it is really, really important.
Whilst Munira Mirza said:
I should just like to say that, whoever said it, about Black History Month being too narrowly focused on slavery, I think you are right. Sometimes, it can get a bit boring, doing slavery every year. So, this year, we are doing Black History Month events next month of Notting Hill Carnival: 50 Years of the Notting Hill Carnival in London. Actually, I think that is London history and not just black history. We are inviting lots of people – it does not matter your background or your ethnicity to come and enjoy that, to see performances. If anybody would like to come to that event I am sure that somebody at the GLA can tell you some more details about it.
Ms Mirza reveals her ignorance as Black History Month has not been focused on slavery “every year” but only in 2007 when it was bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade. Despite her claim that the GLA are doing Black History Month events, the only event which has happened was a private reception, referred to by the Mayor on twitter.
I predict that Ms Mirza’s replies to questions about The Story Of London will be variations on “you’re looking at detail instead of the big picture” and “it was a huge success”, despite evidence to the contrary.
As for the Cultural Olympiad, I can’t say I’ve noticed any of these “major projects”.
I look forward to further cultural initiatives from Ms Mirza, maybe compulsory opera for four-year-olds and Stalinist public performances of approved music genres – unless, of course, they’re cancelled.
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Where do they get these numskulls that work in the Mayor’s office. During the 80′s manchester was the height of culture (Happy Mondays, Hacienda, Stone Roses etc) – maybe it wasn’t the sort of ‘culture’ that Ms Mizra was likely to invited to – I don’t know, perhaps she was too busy being square – studying for her future perhaps?
I had to laugh at the list of ‘major projects’ – not so much the top few but all the ‘inspired by 2012′ which appear later down the list.
Are we saying that any event which occurs between now and 2012 will be inspired by 2012? I mean what is the link between the Olympics and interpreting the River Severn through music and dance.
There is an annual cheese rolling competition in Gloucester – surely that’s worthy of being inspired by 2012 – after all isn’t that how the 100m started?
Strange to see there is no mention of a festival in Craven Arms in Shropshire (home to the first modern Olympics) – maybe the 2012 team haven’t researched properly.
Lots of promises – but not much delivery. Still, I suppose it won’t matter when teh tourists arrive and cannot get to the Olympics because the tubes are on strike and they find the Capital ‘closed for business’ as the recession (or rather depression) will be well underway by then.
I will organise an event which will be ‘civil unrest outside parliment’ where we see who can kick the MP’s hardest for their thieving ways.
A peoples event if ever I saw one.
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