Historic Royal Palaces to contribute to our 'Cultural Cities' forum this May
- 14 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Image: western approaches to The Tower of London .
Future Cities Forum is delighted that the Director of the Tower of London, Andrew Jackson, CBE, will be speaking at our 'Cultural Cities' discussion event. The Tower of London which is hosting the event, will be showcasing its ongoing plans to remain as a leading global visitor attraction.
Other contributors include the V&A's Deputy Director and COO, Tim Reeve, CBE and .Colleen Ritzau Leth, Board Director of the Public Establishment of the Palace, Museum, and National Estate of Versailles (Château de Versailles)
After more than 33 years of leadership and staff roles in the Army, Andrew joined Historic Royal Palaces (HRP) in May 2019 as the Tower Director, a post also known by its historic title, Resident Governor and Keeper of the Jewel House.
As a member of HRP’s Executive Board, he is responsible for security and visitor experience across the organisation, the development of HM Tower of London as the UK’s premier paid visitor attraction, and the day to day operation of the Tower.
His career as an infantry officer in The Royal Yorkshire Regiment took him on operations to Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan. In between deployments, he worked in the Ministry of Defence, the Army HQ and NATO, gaining skills in policy and strategy development, public relations, operations and training, and building new capability.
A history graduate from the University of York, he also has a MA in Military Studies and is a Member of the Royal College of Defence Studies.
Image: Andrew speaking at our 'Cultural Cities' forum last June at The Barbican.
At our cultural cities forum last June at the Barbican, Andrew noted that the Historic Royal Palaces has a very ambitious strategy, but it is very difficult to retrofit modern technology into a thousand year old fortress:
'We are not in competition with other cultural institutions in the City of London and I sit on the Destination City board because the City tends to exclude the Tower of London. So how can we work better together and especially on connectivity?''
One idea is to re-instate the Historic Royal Procession from the Tower of London to St Paul's Cathedral, dating back to the 17th century. The procession was in past times a significant event for London. It was a route walked by monarchs during their coronations, symbolising the connection between monarchy and the 'sacred places of London' - including the White Mound where head of states have been buried.
The Culture Mile Bid has been promoting walking events through the City of London with the environment in mind. It says this May:
'Guests will be guided on a journey through the green spaces of the Culture Mile, where we will hear stories of the City’s trees and the spaces they inhabit, and about their importance in a changing climate.
'We will admire some of the rare species, including the Handkerchief Tree in Postman’s Park and the Foxglove Tree near The Barber Surgeons’ Hall. On Wednesday 13 May we are hosting the final of two lunchtime singing workshops.'
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