'Learning throughout life is more important than ever'

This year, City Lit enters its second century – an important milestone for any organisation. We were originally one of five literary institutes to open in London and we are the only one to have survived and prospered.Since we opened in 1919, we have welcomed tens of thousands of Londoners every year, with probably well over a million people having benefitted from our unique offering over the last century.We are based near Covent Garden in the heart of our city, where Londoners from all walks of life come together to try something new, learn a new skill, follow a passion, and find a community and their cultural expression.We are open and welcoming as we have always been – throughout the most challenging times of the last century. The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said “London is Open” – I am proud to say that City Lit has had a century of unbroken support for Londoners. Our centenary affords us the opportunity of looking back and celebrating moments from our history, but as a leading cultural institution and beacon of learning in London, we are always keen to look forward and ensure we are ready for the future. Among the very first courses we offered when we opened in 1919 were lipreading classes for Londoners returning with damaged hearing from the battlefields of the First World War.