A special day of music dance and other arts events will kick start Lewisham’s Borough of Culture programme on Friday.

The programme, called We Are Lewisham, begins at 7am with a ‘Tannoy Takeover’ at Lewisham Shopping Centre playing music that is connected to the borough. From 9am, live music performances will take place at train stations across Lewisham, including Hither Green, Catford, Deptford and Bellingham.

On Twitter, Mayor Damien Egan referenced the programme, saying it will mark “a special year that celebrates our special talent and brings people together”. The programme’s official account, WeAreLewisham, is tweeting regular updates on events, locations and timings.

Other main events on Friday include ‘Art on your Doorstep’, which will showcase different arts in numerous locations, and ‘Identity Tapestry’, in which local people will weave a tapestry that represents the story of the borough. At noon, the “first creative challenge” will take the place, with choreographed dance performances performed by schools across the borough.

A new short film created especially for WeAreLewisham will be premiered at 6:30pm and will be broadcast onto several key buildings in Lewisham, such as Lewisham Shopping Centre and Broadway Theatre, as well as on the Piccadilly Lights.

Speaking at the event’s formal launch last year, Egan said that 2022 will “celebrate everything that is great” about Lewisham and will “showcase the incredible talents” from the borough.

“Our year as London Borough of Culture will be open to everyone… created with and by local people. We’ll be giving a platform to the very best of what Lewisham has to offer and we can’t wait to welcome people.”

More information and a detailed event listing can be found on the WeAreLewisham website.