Lord Mayor's Peace Lecture

The Lord Mayor's Peace Lecture takes place in Coventry on Thursday 12 November, with Dean Rev. John Witcombe presenting and the Lord Mayor, Cllr Roger Bailey, chairing. It's the annual centrepiece of the Coventry Peace Festival, which runs from 2 to 14 November and is organised by Coventry City Council. The lecture asks whether reconciliation is possible in the midst of conflict, framing Coventry's own contribution to peace around the world. The city leans on its long history as a 'City of Peace and Reconciliation', a tradition that stretches back to the Blitz 86 years ago.

The lecture sits inside a wider festival that fills the city with free activities over the two weeks. There are poetry sessions, outdoor storytelling, art and craft workshops, walks, and a historical tour of Coventry Cathedral. One of the more particular additions is the planting of a young oak grown from a tree that survived the Battle of Arnhem. The Remembrance Sunday Service and Parade at War Memorial Park remains one of the festival's key fixtures.

Things wrap up on 14 November with Sense of Unity, an outdoor performance of giant illuminated puppets parading through the city centre to live drummers playing West African-inspired music. The lecture itself runs from 6.30pm to 7pm, and entry is free.