Good afternoon,
Pride month has now begun and there are an extraordinary range of events happening across the Square Mile for you and your colleagues to enjoy.
Visit our Pride listings page to see all the details. There are so many great activities that we can’t fit them all in this email – but we’ve included highlights below. In particular, please ensure that your workplace has submitted its nominations to attend
Guildhall Pride.
If you are planning a Pride even which isn’t already listed, please let us know the details and we will add it to our listings. Please circulate this email widely among relevant colleagues in your workplace, and encourage them to sign up to our mailing list at
www.belongingproject.city
We will also be convening our new
City Belonging Network, Pride in the Square Mile, bringing together LGBTQ+ networks and individuals across the City. If you would be interested in joining the steering group for this network, please email
belonging@cityoflondon.gov.uk
Wednesday 11 June - Wednesday 16 June, Barbican
QUEER 70s: LGBTQ+ CINEMA IN THE DECADE AFTER STONEWALL
Travel back to the 1970s, when LGBTQ+ lives were shown on screen with an unapologetic gusto unthinkable a decade before. Queer cinema of the time reflects these changes, as LGBTQ+ directors grabbed opportunities to tell their own stories. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning and intersex characters in these films took centre stage – and this time, they weren't the victims or villains. Queer 70s embraces a variety of genres, showcasing films from Australia, Belgium, India, Japan, the Netherlands, the UK and the USA.
Thursday 12th June - Tuesday 1st July
QUEER CITY: 2,000 YEARS OF LGBTQ+ HISTORY IN THE CULTURE MILE
In celebration of Pride Month, the Culture Mile BID have designed a guided walking tour to explore the 2,000 years of London’s LGBTQ+ history, uncovering and honouring stories that were once invisible.
Led by Patrick Molloy, an official City of London guide, the attendees of this tour will discover some of the oldest queer spaces in the capital, visit London’s Roman walls, learn stories about the infamous female cross-dressers, as well as witnessing where the last queer people were put on trial. This event will shine a light on the lives of LGBTQIA+ people who once lived in this city and ensure that their stories are heard.
Friday, 13th June, 1 – 2 pm, Shoe Lane Library
EMERGING FROM THE SHADOWS – HIDDEN LGBTQ+ HISTORIES TALK
Philip Scott, specialising in political and diverse histories, will be leading this workshop about the hidden history within the LGBTQ+ community. The event will discuss significant parts of the LGBTQ+ community that have been overlooked or suppressed.
Saturday, 14th June, 5 – 6pm, Guildhall Art Gallery
SECOND SATURDAY – FAMILY ACTIVITIES AT GUILDHALL ART GALLERY
This fun day will be filled with lots of craft activities and story time sessions with the aim to celebrate Pride month and LGBTQ+ artists. The craft activities include exploring colour mixing and the use of rainbows as a symbol of hope and peace. The event is for children aged 3 to 11 and their families.
Saturday 14th June, 10:00am – 12:00pm, Bishopsgate Institute
AN INTRODUCTION TO LGBTQIA LITERATURE
This online session, hosted by writer and journalist Emily Garside, will explore LGBTQIA+ literature through the decades.
The course will chronologically examine the evolvement of queer literature, starting with ‘hidden histories’, a section that will discuss the ways in which queer literature was suppressed and censored. The session will then make its way through the liberation era of the 1960s and 70s, before discussing the response to the AIDS epidemic, and eventually ending with contemporary LGBTQ+ literature. This course will take place via Zoom.
Monday, 16th June, 6 - 8:30pm, Guildhall
GUILDHALL PRIDE 2025
The City of London Corporation, in partnership with the LGBTQ+ Insurance Network (Link), are celebrating Pride in style on Monday 16th June, bringing together the LGBTQ+ community from across the Square Mile and beyond. We will raise the Pride flag, followed by an evening of music, performance and celebration in the historic surroundings of Guildhall. Each City of London workplace is welcome to nominate up to three representatives to attend.
Monday 16th June, 6:00pm – 8:30pm, Location: TBC
LEGAL PRIDE 2025: SPEED NETWORKING FOR LGBTQ+ TALENT
As part of the InterLaw Diversity Forum’s 2025 Legal Pride Series, this event will allow you to connect with leading LGBTQ+ in-house and private practice leaders who will be sharing stories of career successes, and important lessons they learned on their legal journey.
This is a networking event particularly designed for junior and mid-level LGBTQ+ professionals in the City, providing them with career insights and practical tips to help them navigate their budding law career.
Wednesday 18th June, 8:00am – 9:30, Location: TBC
LEGAL PRIDE 2025: LEGAL LEADERSHIP BREAKFAST WITH JULIA HOGGETT
The InterLaw Diversity forum will be hosting Dame Julia Hoggett, the first openly gay Chief Executive of the London Stock Exchange, for an insightful chit chat into her career successes. The talk will discuss her extensive work of promoting LGBTQ+ inclusion in financial and trading services, whilst also emphasising the significance of leadership to bring about these types of diversifying changes.
Thursday, 19th June, 8 - 10am, Travers Smith
LEGAL PRIDE 2025: LEADERSHIP BREAKFAST WITH JAMES LONGMAN
In partnership with Travers Smith and the City of London Corporation's City Belonging Project, and as part of the InterLaw Diversity Forum's 2025 Legal Pride series, we are incredibly proud to be hosting a discussion with journalist James Longman, where we will explore the intersection of mental health, LGBTQ+ identities and family connections.
Thursday 19th June, 6:30pm – 10:30pm, Proud City
CITY PRIDE BINGO & DRAG SHOW
SCOR, AIG, Lockton, Markel and Kennedys, in association with Link, will be hosting the 3rd Annual Edition of City Pride Bingo at Proud City Cabaret. A £10 ticket entry fee will see you enjoy an evening of amazing drag performances and fun bingo, but also a complementary prosecco on arrival, canapes and first two drinks included in the ticket fare.
All of the proceeds from this event will be donated to Queerwell - a charity that offers innovative, prevention-focused mental health for people within the LGBTQ+ community.
Saturday, 21 June 12-1:30pm, Museum of London
WALKING LONDON’S QUEER HISTORY
Uncover hidden histories that prove queer people have always been here – and always will be. Queer people have lived in London since it was founded their traces can be found all over the capital.
Walking through the City of London, our guide will uncover some hidden histories: queer struggle, queer joy, late-night trysts in St Paul's Cathedral and thieves in controversial clothing.
Tuesday, 24 June 2-3:30pm, Artizan Street Library
LGBTQ+ ARCHIVES AND HISTORY AT BISHOPSGATE INSTITUTE
Bishopsgate Institute’s Special Collections and Archives holds possibly the most extensive collection on LGBTQ+ history, politics and culture in the UK. It covers the late nineteenth century onwards. The collections encompass LGBTQ+ history politics and culture, with archives from numerous organisations and individuals.
Join Special Collections and Archives Manager Stef Dickers to hear how the collections were gathered, the stories behind many of the collections and adventures of looking after the collections day to day.
Wednesday 25th June, 6:00pm – 8:30pm, Gutter Lane
SHEFFIELD HAWORTH: ART WITH PRIDE
Sheffield Haworth will be hosting a drinks reception to mark their exciting two-week exhibition, Art with Pride. This event will be featuring the work of three talented LGBTQ+ artists: Leonie Bellini, Valentino Vannini and Millie Shafiee. Art with Pride will be running from the 16th June to 30th June.
Thursday 26th June, 6:00pm – 8:30pm, Location: TBC
LEGAL PRIDE: LGBTQ+ WOMEN’S NETWORKING EVENT, ONE LONDON WALL
After the success of their launch earlier this year, for Pride Month, the InterLaw Diversity Forum is launching their LGBTQ+ women networking event. The event will aim to create a welcoming space for LGBTQ+ women, including trans women, in the legal industry. This networking event intends to foster a supportive and empowering community of women who are able to connect, conversate and share stories.
Saturday 28th June, Online
AN INTRODUCTION INTO LGBTQ+ MUSICALS
In this Zoom workshop, attendees will be able to explore queer culture and representation in musicals. Musical theatre has always had a long-standing relationship with the queer community, with this session exploring that connection.
This event will examine the works of La Cage Aux Folles and Rent, whilst also discussing what the future of queer musicals will look like in works such as; The Prom and Why Am I So Single?
Tuesday, 1st July, Aldermanbury
PRIDE HISTORY WALK AND STREET PARTY
In celebration of Pride Month, join us on a guided walking tour exploring over two thousand years of LGBTQ+ history in the Culture Mile. On our meanderings through the Culture Mile footprint, discover some of the oldest Queer spaces in London and their place in story of the city. Led by Patrick Molloy - Official City of London Guide - we will explore how, despite the risks, queer people not only survived, but lived and loved and celebrated their lives. This walk will lead into a Pride Party on Aldermanbury, as part of the NLA London Festival of Architecture: follow
Culture Mile BID on
Instagram to hear more.
🏳️🌈Book your place (no need to book is you only wish to attend the free street party on Aldermanbury!)
Friday, 4th July, 6pm and 7:30pm, Barbican
CLASSICAL PRIDE
LGBTQ+ voices have always had a presence in classical music, and for Classical Pride 2025 they’ll ring loud and proud within the vocal-led programme Voices of Pride. The glittering finale of Classical Pride in London will be celebrated in the Barbican Hall with the London Symphony Orchestra, a world premiere by Jake Heggie commissioned by Classical Pride and a line-up of star soloists. Make an evening out of it and start with a free performance in the Hall by emerging musicians at 6pm on 4 July.
HELP SHAPE THE CITY OF LONDON CULTURAL STRATEGY
The City of London Corporation is developing a new Cultural Strategy for the Square Mile, which will set out a bold and practical vision for culture in the Square Mile.
DESTINATION CITY PARTNERSHIP FUND
We are excited to launch the Destination City Partnership Fund, a key element of our Destination City growth strategy for the Square Mile.
The new Fund offers to partner and co-fund projects from £1,000-£10,000 that will enhance the City to attract more businesses, workers and visitors to the Square Mile.
If you or any of your colleagues would like to receive updates from the City Belonging Project, please sign up at
www.belongingproject.city
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