Cultural Olympiad
The Cultural Olympiad, putting culture at the heart of the Games, is going on right now, and will continue up to 2012 and beyond.
The Cultural Olympiad is helping to ensure the 2012 Games are ‘everyone’s 2012’ by giving people throughout the UK the chance to join in. A series of major projects, and hundreds of smaller ones are already under way, and plans for the Games' ceremonies are taking shape, including the torch relays.
The Cultural Olympiad major projects include Unlimited, a world celebration of disability arts, culture and sport, and Artists Taking the Lead, with the South East commission awarded to Lone Twin for The Boat Project.
For the very first time at an Olympic or Paralympic Games, the Cultural Olympiad is offering communities a chance to join in through the Inspire programme. Not-for-profit organisations can submit applications to run activities inspired by London 2012. The very best of these are awarded the coveted Inspire Mark, and become part of the Cultural Olympiad. West Sussex's Blue Touch Paper Carnival, our ambitious integrated carnival project, has been awarded the Inspire Mark.
The Cultural Olympiad will culminate with a 12-week UK-wide festival in 2012, bringing together leading artists from all over the world. The festival will then open on 21 June 2012 - Midsummer’s Day. It will run until 9 September 2012 - the last day of the London 2012 Paralympic Games. The festival programme is currently being developed - more details will be announced in 2011.
A key feature of the cultural celebration each year is London 2012 Open Weekend, marking the countdown to the opening ceremony in 2012. The two-year countdown celebrations were on the 23-25 July, and one-year to go events will be on the 22-24 July 2011.
For further information about the Cultural Olympiad and how to get involved, visit London 2012.