A world class performance

The City of London Corporation is no stranger to world class performances. Its prime role is to support and promote the City as the world's leading international financial centre. Within the Square Mile are over 530 foreign banks, with some two-thirds coming from countries outside the EU; it is quite simply where the world does business best.

Keeping the world spotlight on the City's financial status also reflects its cultural excellence. The City of London Corporation is one of the most significant sponsors of the arts in the UK. It provides the Barbican Centre, Europe's largest multi arts and conference venue, and directly funds the London Symphony Orchestra's residency. It also provides half the annual costs of the enormously popular Museum of London and supports a year-round programme of major arts festivals and events in the City and neighbouring areas.

International standards of excellence run through the host of other responsibilities the City holds and which extend far beyond the boundaries of the Square Mile. It is the port health authority for the whole of the Thames estuary, runs four premier food markets at Smithfield, Billingsgate, Spitalfields and Leadenhall, manages a portfolio of property throughout London and maintains and safeguards over 10,000 acres of open space in and around it, including Hampstead Heath, Epping Forest, Burnham Beeches and a string of parks and commons in Kent and Surrey. It also runs the four bridges that cross the Thames into the City, including Tower Bridge, a major tourist attraction and an international symbol for London as a whole.

Add to this the unique and influential role played by its head, the Lord Mayor of the City of London, in promoting the City's financial services at home and overseas, and the City of London has a cast and company fit for the world stage. Indeed the City has taken many roles over the centuries - whether playing the lead or acting in a supporting role it is dedicated to delivering a world class performance.