The Cultural Olympiad

The London 2012 Cultural Olympiad is the largest cultural celebration in the history of the modern Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Spread over the four years leading up to London 2012, the ambition of the Cultural Olympiad is to give everyone in the UK a chance to join in and be part of the Games, and to inspire creativity across all forms of culture, especially among young people.

Hundreds of projects are underway, ranging from large-scale commissions and events to small community projects, and plans for the Games' ceremonies are taking shape. The route for the torch relays  has been announced, with more details to come about related events as the torch passes through communities.

The Inspire Programme has offered not-for-profit organisations from communities the chance to be officially recognised as part of the Cultural Olympiad, awarding Inspire marks to inspirational projects inspired by London 2012. West Sussex's Blue Touch Paper Carnival, our ambitious integrated carnival project, has been awarded the Inspire Mark, along with Dromos Festival, our travelling family-friendly arts festival produced by a team of local young producers, and Flying Books, a project designed to create a lasting visual legacy of individual thoughts, feelings and hopes during the build up to the 2012 Games.

The Cultural Olympiad will culminate with the London 2012 Festival, opening 21 June 2012 and running until 9 September – the last day of the Paralympic Games. The festival, which will be the UK’s largest ever cultural festival will bring artists together from across the globe and provide the focus for the celebrations. A lasting legacy will be left through ambitious commissions and over 1000 events across a range of art forms, including dance, music, theatre, the visual arts, film and digital innovation, and carnival. The majority of the events will be free to attend. You can keep up to date with the latest news about the festival at the London 2012 Festival website.

For further information about the Cultural Olympiad and how to get involved, visit the London 2012 website.