Full list of events as Coventry's Peace Festival returns
Coventry's Peace Festival is returning this month to celebrate the city's ongoing work dedicated to peace, reconciliation, sanctuary, and welcome. From November 1 to November 14, the festival will host a range of events across the city for locals to participate in.
Lady Mayoress of the City of Coventry, Cllr Mal Mutton, said the peace is 'as urgent today as it was decades ago' as November marks the 84th anniversary of The Blitz, where the 'tragic event' devastated the city but marked its 'rebirth' as a symbol of reconciliation.
There will be many events, from the 10,000 Stars of Coventry workshop to a Peace in Nature session or the Annual Peace Walk with the Multi-Faith Forum. This year, the Lord Mayors' Peace Lecture will feature a talk by Professor Nicola Pratt, professor of International Politics of the Middle East at the warwick>University of Warwick.
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Cllr Mal Mutton added: "The festival offers a chance for us all to learn, connect with others, and find ways we can each contribute to a more peaceful world. Whether you attend many events or just one, I sincerely thank you for your participation and support. I also extend my gratitude to all who make this festival possible."
CoventryLive has put together a guide to the city's peace festival events. Below, you can find it.
1) Peace Perfect Peace - November 1
Join the Godiva Trust to develop your artistic skills and discover what peace means to you. Share your stories of peace with art workshops and storytelling with a musician. The event will take place from 11am-12:30pm at the Priory Visitor Centre.
2) Positive Images Festival - November 2
Over 80 entrants have been asked to write poems on peace and rebirth this year. Join the event to hear the amazing poems that have been submitted. The winners of this year’s competition will have their poems published online and will be interviewed on Hillz FM community radio. The event will be held at Central Library from 1pm-4pm.
3) 10,000 Stars for Coventry Workshop - November 2
From 11am-3 pm at Central Methodist Hall, visitors are invited to make a star for the tree, write a peace message, and pledge to help eradicate all forms of violence in the world. There will also be other peace activities, including dove crafts and peace badge making.
4) Put the flags out, messages of peace - November 5
The women-only art and craft group will be creating and displaying colourful flag bunting, each decorated with messages and words of peace from the local community. This piece of art will be displayed in the reception of the W.A.T.C.H Centre in Hillfields from 2:30pm-4:30pm to welcome its visitors.
5) Seeds of Hope at Earlsdon Primary School - November 6
Visitors are invited to plant a seed of hope, add hope for a peaceful future to our Seeds of Hope Wall, and take home their potted seed. Reflect on your wishes for hope and watch as your plant germinates and grows. This event links with a newly launched UNESCO initiative, “Seeds of Hope”.
The event will be held from 1:30pm-3pm. For more information, email rbollands@earlsdon.coventry.sch.uk
6) Coventry Lord Mayor Peace Lecture 2024 - November 6
Coventry Cathedral will be hosting a lecture on the relationship between peace and justice in the Middle East from 7pm-9pm. The lecture will include Nicola Pratt, International Politics of the Middle East professor at the University of Warwick.
7) Peace in Nature - November 7
Wild Earth Allotments at Lake View Allotments invites visitors to embrace the beauty of nature, where you can enjoy guided mindfulness walks, sit spots, observe wildlife, and relaxing outdoor meditations, all designed to help you cultivate peace and gratitude. The session will be held from 12:30pm-2:30pm.
8) Coventry Welcome Walk - November 8
Join the hour-long peace trail led by our experienced Welcome Walk Host volunteers, bringing the city centre to life, highlighting key and interesting facts, and leaving you with a greater sense of connection to the city. The walk will be from 12:15pm-1:30pm, with the meeting point at Priory Visitor Centre. To secure your spot, email info@env.uk.com.
9) Broadcasters Uniting for Peace - November 9
Vanny Radio will explore peace through child-friendly activities, such as the displaced cook-off, where young people learn about welcoming newcomers and conflict-affected countries by learning their playground games and become critical thinkers with the Fake News Workshop. The session will be held at Broad Horizon Enterprise Centre from 12pm-3pm.
10) Creative Kindness Peace Workshop - November 10
Creative Kindness will have a peace and remembrance workshop at the Visitor's Centre at War Memorial Park with lots of craft activities for families to enjoy. There will be rock painting, poppy-making, peace message badge-making, and more. The session will be from 11am-3pm.
11) Seeds of Hope - November 11
Lyng Hall invited people to share stories from around the world into their continent story gardens, a space to discover stories from various nations that find their home in their school. This is to help celebrate each other's cultures and promote understanding within the city. The session will be held from 3:30pm-5pm. For more information, email lhagan@lynghallschool.co.uk
12) Community Food Gardening - November 12
The Abundant Jungles at Foleshill Library is a year-long project funded by Severn Trent, with sessions sharing thoughts about water, greening, and growing food to eat in small urban spaces. The session will be held from 3:30pm-5pm. For more information, email trust@covpeacehouse.org.uk.
13) Intercultural Conversation - November 13
The event will involve Coventry University students to exchange information about their home culture with others and relay what they have learned. Prizes will be awarded to the best conversation reports, which will be published on their website. This will be held at The Hub on University Square from 10am-3pm
14) Guided Walks of The Coventry Peace Trail - November 14
Join two experienced tour guides on its Coventry Peace Trail and visit 27 sites around the city centre that help attendees develop thinking about peace, reconciliation and citizenship. The event will be from 11am-12pm, with the meeting point at cathedral ruins.
For the full list of events for Coventry's Peace Festival, click here. To visit the official website, visit the link here.
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