The Cultural Olympiad -The UK-wide picture

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THE CULTURAL OLYMPIAD The UK-wide picture

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THE CULTURAL OLYMPIAD The UK-wide picture 45 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28

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Introduction by Dr Beatriz Garcia EAST MIDLANDS EAST OF ENGLAND LONDON NORTH EAST NORTH WEST SOUTH EAST SOUTH WEST WEST MIDLANDS YORKSHIRE NORTHERN IRELAND SCOTLAND WALES

30 31 Alan Davey, Chief Executive, Arts Council England Moira Swinbank, Chief Executive, Legacy Trust UK 32 33 Ruth Mackenzie, Director, Cultural Olympiad 34 35 Partners and Supporters

Project Strand Glossary Inspire - An Olympic and Paralympic first, the London 2012 Inspire programme officially recognises outstanding non-commercial projects and events inspired by the Games.

Open Weekend - Celebrating the countdown to the Games, Open Weekend enables everyone across the UK to share in the excitement by challenging themselves to trying something new or taking an interest to a further level.

Unlimited - The Cultural Olympiad programme celebrating arts, culture and sport by disabled and deaf people.

Artists Taking the Lead - A series of 12 extraordinary public art commissions created by artists across the nation, as part of the Cultural Olympiad.

Legacy Trust UK - Legacy Trust UK is an independent charity set up to create a cultural and sporting legacy from the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games across the UK, with a ÂŁ40 million endowment from Big Lottery Fund, Arts Council England and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. To do this, the Trust is funding a range of projects in each nation and region of the UK, aimed at engaging communities and encouraging participation in cultural and sporting activities. Each programme is different, and activity ranges from street arts festivals to dance, sports and volunteering projects.

Live Sites - Big screens and event spaces in urban centres offering live information, video, news and community events. They will be the destination for news, events and live screenings of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012.

Cover Photograph: Tony West

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By 2012, it will be precisely 100 years since the first official commitment to presenting cultural and artistic activity alongside sport as a core dimension of the Olympic hosting process. This centenary provides a useful moment to reflect on what culture has brought to the Olympic and Paralympic Games. In particular, the UK has attempted to overcome past challenges by supporting a cultural programme that makes the most of the build-up towards 27 days of world-class sport in 2012, so that the four years of an Olympiad are not only about constructing venues, but also constructing a creative dialogue with communities throughout the country.

The London 2012 Cultural Olympiad has been envisaged as more than just a complement to the Olympic and Paralympic Games. It provides the greatest opportunity to advance some of the most challenging and inspiring agendas of a Games hosting process, such as building new opportunities for engaging young people, furthering synergies between Olympic and Paralympic aspirations and providing a space to interrogate what should guide the Games in future years.

One of its most distinctive aspects has been the appointment of 13 Creative Programmers - one per nation and region in the UK - who have developed a vision for their areas to enable widespread participation with the arts and cultural sector, while building bridges across sectors. This has resulted in a range of new programming opportunities, all inspired by London 2012. In particular, programmes have deliberately pursued cross-sector partnerships across the sports, health and arts worlds, leading to innovative funding collaborations and alternative forms of Olympic and Paralympic related branding.

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Throughout these programmes, a wide diversity of expressions are apparent, from presenting internationally renowned talent to promoting emerging artists, while exploring new territories in the interface between the arts and sports fields.

This work has given each UK nation and region a voice within the journey towards the Games and a platform for live community participation with this document providing a snap-shot of what has been achieved to date.

Beyond London 2012, other Games hosts may utilise these achievements as a blueprint to inform future Olympic and Paralympic cultural programming, though there is also a lot that can be learned about how to build greater cultural collaboration across the UK. Accompanied by ongoing research-based impact data, these cultural programmes could be seen as a particularly powerful framework to create Olympic and Paralympic memories for the majority of the British population, thus expanding a one-off global media event into a locally rooted and more sustainable festival experience.

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The following pages offer a glimpse of the many activities that have taken place throughout the UK so far. Each of the Creative Programmers introduces the core vision for their respective regions and presents a selection of highlights, covering urban as well as rural areas, and a wide array of thematic explorations, from a fresh look into disability, to a fusion between art, science, ethics and sport.

The Cultural Legacy of London 2012 With the establishment of a Cultural Olympiad, there is an opportunity to expand the legacy of the Games and demonstrate that the Olympics and Paralympics provide a platform for far more than just the advancement of elite sport or economic regeneration.

When historians look back at these Games, they will see the most extensive commitment to nationalise an event that is often considered citybased. This may have been the most important way in which London 2012 has contributed to keeping the Olympic movement ‘moving’, as claimed in its original bid vision for the Cultural Olympiad. The work has committed to developing a common vision that is informed by local populations and thus relevant to a specific community at a specific time, while connecting with the universal and timeless aspirations of a world class event embedded in a genuinely international network and over 120 years of history.

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In closing, it is salient to note that, in a time of cuts across all public sector departments within the UK, the contribution of art and culture to wider economic and social agendas could still be overlooked or misunderstood. In part this is because understanding the broader cultural economy that underpins Britain’s brand as a world-class creative nation should be considered beyond simple economic indicators. With this report, there can be no question that the Cultural Olympiad has provided a platform for culture and arts programming while advancing complex cross-sector and UK-wide collaborations. The impact of such interactions will be felt for years to come.

Dr Beatriz Garcia www.beatrizgarcia.net Director, Impacts 08 – European Capital of Culture Research Programme University of Liverpool & Liverpool John Moores University www.impacts08.net Editor, Culture @ the Olympics – Issues, Trends and Perspectives www.culturalolympics.org.uk

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‘The East Midlands has developed a series of five annual showcase programmes for the Cultural Olympiad which focus on engaging audiences and leaving lasting legacies, through building the capacity and profile of some key festivals and raising the quality and impact of outdoor arts and community celebrations.

Paul Brookes Creative Programmer, East Midlands

We have prioritised the commissioning of new work from emerging artists of culturally diverse backgrounds and fostering international connections, in particular with South Africa, China, India and Latin America. We have also built on the emerging strengths of the visual arts in the region with new facilities such as Nottingham Contemporary and New Art Exchange in Nottingham, New Walk Museum in Leicester, The Collection in Lincoln and the Derby Quad.’

For more information see http://emda.org.uk/cultural-olympiad

Foot in Hand’s One Night Only

UK Young Artists

Leicester, Birmingham and London July – September 2009

Derby 21 - 24 October 2010

Foot in Hand’s One Night Only was the Creative Programmer’s first commission of new work as part of the region’s festival showcases. Led by Director Louise Katerega, Foot in Hand’s integrated dance company of nine dancers (incorporating disabled dancers, both physical and special needs, with nondisabled performers) came together to create a new piece to accompany the staging of the GB Special Olympics in Leicester in July 2009.

UK Young Artists (UKYA) is a new organisation working nationally and internationally to showcase young, creative practitioners between the ages of 18 – 30 whose work spans across all art forms; from visual arts to music, performance to literature. The organisation provides important networking opportunities and artistic development through intercultural dialogue and exhibitions and performances showcasing outstanding art.

One Night Only re-sets the famous classical music suite Carnival of the Animals in a nightclub. The well-known score, traditionally representing exotic creatures, follows the highs and lows of the all too human cast during a night out on the town. The evening’s premiere also included a reworking of a previous piece choreographed by Katerega, A State of Becoming, which had been a 2006 semi-finalist for the national choreographic competition, The Place Prize, a first for work featuring disabled dancers. The company performed to an enthusiastic audience at the Peepul Centre, Leicester before touring to the Dance Exchange, Birmingham and to Rich Mix, London.

The first UKYA event took place in Derby from Thursday 21 until Sunday 24 October. From the 75 artists represented this year, a select number has been chosen to represent the UK in 2011 at the International Biennale of Young Artists of Europe and the Mediterranean in Morocco.

The selection panel was led by the internationally renowned performance artist Akram Khan.

Principal funders have been the Legacy Trust UK Igniting Ambition programme, Arts Council England and the ERDF.

This event is the forerunner for a World Event for Young Artists which will be held in Nottingham in September 2012 as a closing event of the Cultural Olympiad in the East Midlands.

The principal partners are Nottingham Trent University, De Montfort University, Loughborough University, University of Derby, Arts Council England and the Legacy Trust UK Igniting Ambition programme.

Project Strand Inspire

Project Strand Open Weekend, Inspire and Legacy Trust UK www.ukyoungartists.co.uk www.footinhand.co.uk

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Photograph: Katie Green

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EAST MIDLANDS

Photograph: Close Act, Rebels

Derby Feste Derby City Centre 26 – 28 September 2008 4 - 6 September 2009 For three days each year, the Derby Feste brings the whole city out on the streets for fantastical events and extraordinary performances. Nearly all events are free to the public and the first three years have featured a diverse range of outstanding international artists. Each year the audiences are growing: in 2010 over 30,000 people attended the festival.

The success of Derby Feste grew out of a one-off event organised in 2007 to launch the opening of the new Westfield shopping

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centre. With encouragement from the Creative Programmer, partners were brought together to try and establish an annual outdoor arts event for the five summers of the Cultural Olympiad, with the first one marking the official opening of the Quad visual arts and film centre and the launch weekend of the Cultural Olympiad in September 2008. Activities centre around the central market place, where the BBC Big Screen, Quad and the Assembly Rooms are located, and in nearby locations. Artists have included Transe Express, Compagnie des

Project Strand Open Weekend, Inspire and Legacy Trust UK

Quidams, Les Commandos Percu, Architects of Air, Transport Exceptionnels, Sarruga, Seeper, The Dream Engine, Denis Tricot and many more.

Derby Feste is becoming established as the key annual festival of outdoor arts in the East Midlands and has been supported each year by the Legacy Trust UK’s regional Igniting Ambition programme, Arts Council England, Derby City Council, Deda, Quad and Derby Live.

www.deda.uk.com/derby-feste-10

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‘From small-scale events and workshops to large spectaculars, the East of England has created opportunities for people to take part in, experience and witness exceptional cultural projects. In particular the programme is helping young people gain skills and is building capacity and scale for our cultural organisations through the Legacy Trust UK funded programme Eastern Rising.

Liz Hughes Creative Programmer, East of England

From the time the UK was preparing its bid to host the Games we have been clear that there will be opportunities for the cultural sector in the East of England and we are beginning to see evidence of delivery against this promise. Building on this we have further music, carnival, film and art projects planned to ensure that the Cultural Olympiad will leave a powerful legacy.’

For more information see www.risingtothechallengeeast.co.uk

Striking Together for Bronze Cambridgeshire January 2010 – 2012 Striking Together for Bronze brought together young percussionists and drum kit players from across Cambridgeshire to work with a professional team of performers and teachers. The project encourages and trains young percussionists of all skill levels to work together in rehearsing and performing a specifically written piece of music ‘Striking Together’.

Working in groups that are larger than those possible in schools, students developed their musical potential and experienced contemporary percussion music-making.

The groups worked with new arrangements by composer Mark Aldous, specifically written for such an ensemble of young percussion players.

Following intensive days of rehearsals and workshops the project culminated in two performances at the Birmingham Conservatoire and at the Cambridge Corn Exchange. Nearly 100 students participated in performances with professional percussionists. The performances were seen by about 1,000 people who will all remember the Striking Together version of ‘Wipeout’.

Photograph: Cambridgeshire County Council

In 2010 Cambridgeshire Music ran Striking Together for Bronze across Cambridgeshire, with Silver and Gold projects to follow over the next two years.

Project Strand Inspire

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www.cambridgeshiremusic.org/awards-and-opportunities/striking-together.html

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EAST OF ENGLAND

Light Up East Norwich Castle, Norwich and St George’s Square, Luton September 2008

Simon Tegala’s Halo, Photograph: Martin Figura

Commissions East developed two new pieces of public art to mark the launch of the Cultural Olympiad in September 2008. International artists Shezad Dawood and Mukul Deora created ‘The Body Electric’, which bathed Norwich Castle in music and the moving image. Artist Simon Tegala transformed and animated St George’s Square in Luton using light, music and performance, working with a cast and band of young people.

Alongside the development of this new public art, both projects worked with young people to add their own contribution. Locally, young people worked with venue The Garage in Norwich, creating a striking performance installation which combined physical theatre, animation, dance and film projection. In Luton the UK Centre for Carnival Arts worked with local carnival groups designed and created costumes and the Luton Youth Orchestra performed a new composition. www.commissioneast.org.uk

Project Strand Inspire

Synergy Whitlingham, Norwich 2008 Hunstanton, Norfolk 2009 Great Yarmouth, Norfolk 2010 Synergy encourages people to get active by promoting sporting and cultural activities, developing skills in young people through accompanying volunteer programmes and encouraging cultural tourism by investing in key events.

It was inspired by the launch of the Cultural Olympiad, with Norfolk County Council creating the first Synergy event in 2008.

Bringing together sport and art they created a large outdoor event for people to try activities including sports and arts taster sessions. The event has developed over the last two years and in 2010 Synergy worked with the Out There Festival of street theatre and circus in Great Yarmouth attracting 60,000 people over the weekend. A key highlight was a promenade performance of ‘Bivouac’ by Générik Vapeur, which took over the streets and seafront of Great Yarmouth in extraordinary and unexpected ways.

Project Strand Inspire Photograph: Norfolk County Council

www.outtherefestival.com

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‘Over the last two years London has sought to inspire excellence throughout the Cultural Olympiad with a focus on encouraging local participation and especially developing young leaders, exploring the international social fabric of the city, animating the ever-changing landscapes and continually driving innovation throughout the programme to reveal the Capital’s diverse creativity. The excitement and anticipation for 2012 is now palpable as we hit the home strait!’

Chenine Bhathena

For more information see www.london.gov.uk/priorities/art-culture/culture-2012

Creative Programmer, London

Hadrian Garrard Creative Programmer, Host Boroughs, London

‘As Host City, there is a special emphasis on the Cultural Olympiad in the five Host Boroughs for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

In partnership with many of the leading arts and creative organisations we are working to develop a programme of significant new opportunities for the creative sector and for local people. We hope to connect the 1.5m local residents to the experience of the Games, which is happening on their doorstep, through involving them in new world class arts activity. The Cultural Olympiad is how many people living locally will experience the 2012 Games and we are working to make sure that these experiences benefit and inspire local people.’

For more information see www.createlondon.org

CREATE Throughout the five Host Boroughs 2009 onwards CREATE has been running for three years and originated as part of the Host Boroughs’ contribution to the Olympic bid process in 2004. So far it has seen more than 300 events and opportunities for over 1.5 million local residents and visitors to take part in art activities in east and south east London.

Taking place each July, CREATE promotes the unique cultural offer in the area, presenting a series of new work and commissions from local artists and creative organisations with supporting participation programmes. As well as attracting new visitors to the area, CREATE

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aims to inspire and enable local residents to get involved in world class arts and culture.

CREATE continues to grow and has now established itself firmly as a key part of London’s cultural calendar. It will remain as a major annual London festival after 2012. It is also supported by the CREATE Programmers a group of inspirational young people from the Host Boroughs. Aged 15-25, the Programmers have the collective aim of gaining knowledge, developing their skills and confidence in event programming and profiling the talents of their peers.

Photograph: Fruit Machine

Project Strand Cultural Olympiad

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LONDON

Stories of the World: London

Big Dance Various Locations throughout London 3-11 July 2010 Big Dance 2010 offered Londoners the ultimate dance experience by presenting dance of all types in unusual spaces throughout the city. Working in partnership with the 33 London boroughs, five Big Dance Hubs produced inspiring, complementary programmes across London.

The Hubs are: East London Dance, English National Ballet, Greenwich Dance, Sadler’s Wells and Siobhan Davies Dance.

1.2million people of all ages and abilities were involved to increase fitness levels and create a legacy for dance in the capital.

The Big Dance Bus and Big Dance Bubble travelled all over showcasing local talent and presenting specially commissioned dance pieces, workshops and performances. 150,000 young people

Gladiatorial Poetry Slam, Museum of London 2009 - onwards

from across the world took part in a record breaking attempt for the largest dance class with the British Council and created

by Hakeem Onibudo.

Dancing stAGE, involving 150 older dancers performing at Southbank Centre in a piece produced by East London Dance and choreographed by Natasha Gilmore, was inspired by the theme of love.

The Big World Dance involved thousands of dancers travelling from Southbank Centre to Trafalgar Square to perform the choreography by Luca Silvestrini to mark the finale moment of Big Dance 2010.

Big Dance is London’s Legacy Trust UK Programme led by the Greater London Authority in partnership with Arts Council England.

Photograph: John Chase

Stories of the World: London is a major project within the Cultural Olympiad. Over 1,000 young volunteers are working creatively with museum collections across London. Through this work, young people are gaining new skills confidence that they can use throughout their lives and the museums are being transformed by their energy. Their work will culminate in four landmark exhibitions that will be seen by over one million people in 2012.

Inspired by the museum collections, young people have been creating artworks, films, performances, music, poetry, fashion shows and podcasts. One event that took place as a result of this work was a gladiatorial poetry slam, hosted by the Museum of London’s youth panel, Junction. The event saw some of the city’s most exciting young slam poets, aged 14 – 24, sparring in the foyer at the Museum of London. It was a spectacular evening of poetry performance including readings from competition winners, who were given the challenge of exploring the influence of Latin on English and its use today.

Project Strand Cultural Olympiad

Photograph: Kois Miah

Project Strand Legacy Trust UK

www.bigdance2010.com

http://www.facebook.com/storiesofthe worldlondon

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‘The North East programme ensures that people are able to make the most of opportunities provided by London 2012, creating a legacy of culturally aware, active communities and individuals contributing to regional life.

Lorna Fulton Creative Programmer, North East

North East projects have included bringing together culture and sport through Seconds Out: a programme combining boxing and dance led by Theatre Royal Newcastle and NE-Generation, the region’s Legacy Trust UK programme which encourages children and young people to be decision makers and drivers of culture in partnership with the cultural sector.

As we move towards 2012, the region will be big and bold and create cultural connections which will join the public together in experiences and projects which make the ordinary extraordinary: epic stories seek epic forms.’

For more information see www.london2012.com/culture

A Century of Olympic Posters Shipley Art Gallery, Gateshead June – August 2009 This exhibition brought together a visual history of the Olympic movement and combined the highest standards of ambitious graphic design with a concrete representation of the global reach of the four-yearly event.

To ensure the exhibition was enjoyed by a wide audience a number of events took place including: Shipley Lates: Graphic design and illustration, where well-known graphic designers were invited to speak and visitors were able to view the exhibition out of hours in a relaxing environment.

Alongside the exhibition, workshops were held at the gallery for children from Key Stage 1 to A-level, where participants explored the exhibition and designed a poster for the 2010

Project Strand Inspire and Open Weekend

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Photograph: V&A Museum

UK School Games in Gateshead. Fun family activities were held during the summer holidays, encouraging children to be creative

and active, and events based around the exhibition were part of the Cultural Olympiad Open Weekend.

www.twmuseums.org.uk/shipley

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NORTH EAST

Tornado Gateshead, Tyne & Wear, North East 23 July – 21 September 2010

Photograph: Colin Davison Photograph: Bad Taste Cru, Peter Atkinson

Welcome to the North East Gateshead International Stadium UK School Games (UKSG) venues Thursday 2 – Sunday 5 September 2010

‘Welcome to the North East’ was inspired by the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad and its relationship to the London 2012 Olympic Games, and gave young elite athletes competing at the UK School Games an experience of competing in a high-level multi-sport competition, complemented by an innovative and creative cultural programme.

high-energy breakdance performance by Newcastle and Gateshead B-Boys Bad Taste Cru; Cheer Challenge, a voice-based game created by CultureLab artists which pitted the athletes, their families and the watching audience against each other to see who could deliver the loudest scream; and Rollapaluza, a revival of the sport of rollerracing.

Commissions and projects included: Dance Bites, a series of ten short dance works by young people from ten Gateshead schools, inspired by the ten sports of the UK School Games and choreographed by Dora Frankel Dance Company; an interactive and responsive installation by Mehmet Akten; a

United Visual Artists were also commissioned to create a highlight piece to be shown as a finale of the UK School Games Opening Ceremony. The piece included video imagery and a stadium-wide lighting scheme programmed to a musical score, created by Mira Calix.

Tornado was a new temporary public artwork

by Turner Prize nominee Fiona Banner which was co-commissioned by a new partnership between Great North Run Culture and Locus+.

Banner transformed a decommissioned RAF Tornado plane ZE728 into a large single bell which could be rung by all who encountered it.

Bells are powerful social instruments embedded in many of our most important rituals; from the celebratory, as markers of time, as a warning, a clarion call to action, to the sound of mourning. Whether chiming or silent, Tornado is a metaphor for the possibilities and understanding of change.

This interactive artwork was open to the public for six weeks and also involved an education project with Thomas Hepburn Community School in Gateshead.

This project was made possible by the Cultural Olympiad and brings together culture and sport in an innovative collaboration, working with young people to devise elements of the project.

Project Strand Inspire and Open Weekend www.greatnorthrunculture.org

Project Strand Inspire

www.newcastlegateshead.com

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‘The programme in the North West features major new festivals and commissions, a region-wide events programme, world class international and local artists and innovative community projects. In particular, our programme celebrates the creativity, excellence and innovation in the North West that supports key regional strengths.

Debbi Lander Creative Programmer, North West

At its centre and hub are the annual programmes of Abandon Normal Devices, Blaze and Lakes Alive which form part of the regional programme WE PLAY. These commissioned programmes bring a regional distinctiveness to our Cultural Olympiad activity, with a paricular emphasis on digital culture and street arts.

New and inspiring activities across the region - from the spectacular to the experimental – are ensuring that, for many people in the North West, their experience of London 2012 is through cultural participation.’

For more information see www.nwbeinspired.com

Lakes Alive

DaDaVisions

Cumbria 23 May 2008 – 5 September 2010

Liverpool and UK 17 November 2009 – February 2010

Lakes Alive is a Cumbria-wide outdoor animation programme that aims to position Cumbria as the national centre of excellence for street arts. Featuring the best international artists, the programme animates public spaces in Cumbria across spring and summer each year, culminating with Mintfest, its flagship street arts festival.

Lakes Alive launched on 23 May 2009 with Reach for the Sky – a series of six international aerial spectacles across Cumbria. Its programme continued into the summer with a season of Cumbriawide events. A highlight of the 2010 season was Welcoming the Light, a major event which saw a line of light from coast to coast along the entire length of Hadrian’s Wall, the commissioned site specific performance Sufi:Zen by acclaimed

DaDaVisions was commissioned to mark the 1,000 days to the Paralympic Games celebrations in the North West. Premiering in Liverpool on 17 November 2009, this artist film and video programme consisted of four commissions created by deaf and disabled artists or looking specifically at disability issues: Alison Jones: Portrait of the Artist by Proxy, Caroline Parker: The Rose, So Many Excuses: I Know My Place and Gina Czarnecki: Pixie Dust.

Photograph: Keith Pattison

South Asian dance company Akademi and the We Built this City family participatory event, which involved children and families.

The programme looks at representations of the body and how physical and mental agility is used to define worth and value and judged against likelihood to succeed. This project also formed part of a wider regional Live Sites programme with three specific commissions for the BBC Big Screens.

Project Strand Inspire

Project Strand Inspire and Legacy Trust UK

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www.lakesalive.org

www.dadahello.com

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NORTH WEST

Abandon Normal Devices Festival Liverpool/Manchester and North West 16 April 2009 – 7 October 2010 Shrink by Lawrence Malstaf, Photograph: Dirk Pauwels

Abandon Normal Devices (AND) is a new annual festival in the North West building on the region’s strengths in cinema and digitial culture. It runs over four years with a particular emphasis on ideas around the concept of ‘normality’. The festival takes place in autumn each year, alternating between Liverpool and Manchester, with an extended programme across the region.

Project Strand Inspire and Legacy Trust UK

It is a festival for ‘anarchists of the imagination’ and experiments with the festival format whilst drawing on the powerful mediums of film and new media to instigate a critique of the Body and Economy.

It uses this theme to inspire debate, research and collaboration across the fields of art, sport, new media, science, bio technology, health and disability for London 2012.

The extensive programme is part of the region’s major programme WE PLAY and has involved major international artists Apichatpong Weerasethakul, KMA, Krzysztof Wodiczko, Phil Collins and Rafael LozanoHemmer, the Hand from Above installation by Chris O Shea for the BBC Big Screen Liverpool.

www.andfestival.org.uk

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Caterina Loriggio Creative Programmer, South East

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‘In the South East we have focussed our Cultural Olympiad work on four priority areas; working with Deaf and disabled people, outdoor arts, universities and sports heritage. We have encouraged connections across these priorities resulting in some innovative work, such as five universities commissioning Deaf and disabled artists in residence programmes, the production of a number of toolkits aimed at improving inclusive practice in both the street arts and carnival sector, and a ‘Celebratory and Outdoor Performance Online Resource’ developed by the University of Kent.

Our work with Deaf and disabled people through Legacy Trust UK programme Accentuate is inspired by the Paralympic legacy of the region. We work closely with Stoke Mandeville, Birthplace of the Paralympic Movement and their collections to inspire young people across the region and are currently developing the first ever Paralympic digital archive in The Guttmann For more information see www.southeastpartnership.co.uk

Driving Inspiration Buckinghamshire Ongoing since March 2008 Driving Inspiration is a collaboration between disabled artists, Paralympians and disabled and non-disabled young people. It is about telling the story of the birth of the Paralympic movement at Stoke Mandeville, using part of their archive collection as well as the individual stories of Paralympians. Through assemblies, interviews and workshops, creative work of all kinds is produced and showcased locally and regionally at other Cultural Olympiad activities, local celebrations and at Paralympic and disability sporting events.

During 2009/10 the project took place across Buckinghamshire in five focus schools: The Beaconsfield School, Cressex Community School, Heritage House School, Buckingham Primary and Mandeville School.

These schools were identified for their inclusive policies and learning needs status. Four of the five schools involved have integrated policies.

The fifth school, Heritage House, is for young people with severe learning disabilities. The project will continue in new schools next year and a toolkit will be available nationally. The project develops disability arts practice and encourages young people to develop their personal skills whilst inspiring them to identify and fulfil their own dreams.

Photograph: Bucks 2012 Partnership & Rebekka Pearce

Project Strand Inspire and Legacy Trust UK

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www.creativebucks.org.uk

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SOUTH EAST

Blue Touch Paper Carnival West Sussex and the Isle of Wight Ongoing since Open Weekend 2009 Blue Touch Paper Carnival is about disabled and nondisabled people coming together to plan, share skills and make top quality Carnival in an accessible way so that everyone can take part. For many disabled people, their family and carers, even something as ‘open’ as carnival might not really work for them.

Photograph: Sophie Wade Smith

The more we understand about each other and what stops people taking part, the easier it is to remove the barriers.

Blue Touch Paper Carnival is run by the Blue Hub Bubble Team who aim to make the fun of carnival accessible to

everyone by providing online resources and ultimately taking carnival from the web page to the big parade in projects that pool the ideas of hundreds of local disabled people.

Project Strand Inspire, Open Weekend and Legacy Trust UK

www.btpcarnival.co.uk

Creative Campus Initiative Bucks New University University of Brighton Christ Church Canterbury University of Creative Arts Kent University Oxford Brookes University Royal Holloway, University of London Solent University University of Southampton University of Portsmouth University of Sussex Thames Valley University University of Winchester Ongoing since June 2009 Creative Campus Initiative 09/10 aimed to open up and share the cultural resources of campuses in the UK to provide access to world leading, practice-based research in the arts; engage leading artists to collaborate with students, academics and local communities; create and present high quality new artworks and cultural events

inspired by the Olympic and Paralympic Games and raise the aspirations, skills and economic potential of young people by exploring relationships between sport and the arts in innovative ways.

The institutions commissioned new art works, research-based creative responses,

Project Strand Inspire and Open Weekend

critical debate and learning and community projects which took both direct and tangential inspiration from different Olympic and Paralympic sports.

Over one hundred projects were created, with audience numbers exceeding 550,000.

www.creativecampusinitiative.org.uk

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‘The South West’s remarkable landscapes and heritage are playing a central role in the cultural programme for the region. Our activities kicked-off by marking the handover of the Olympic flag to the UK with Two Minutes Noise on 24 August 2008. Bells rang, canons roared and we cheered as we began our journey toward the sailing and windsurfing events in Weymouth and Portland in 2012.

Richard Crowe Creative Programmer, South West

It’s been a period marked by the new partnerships created like the Outside Celebratory Arts Network; the opportunities offered to young people, such as young Morris sides dancing as part of Dinosaurs Not Allowed, and the Teenage Rampage apprentices, who have worked at Glastonbury, Brisfest and the 5,000 Morris event on London’s South Bank; and Quest journeys that have set off to explore the landscapes and heritage of the region. In addition, RELAYS, Legacy Trust UK’s programme in the South West is delivering cultural and sporting opportunities to children and young people across the region..

So two years down with two to go and the enthusiasm keeps growing!’

For more information see www.teamsouthwest.co.uk/culture

Village Screen Glastonbury Festival 25-28 June 2009 22-27 June 2010 The Village Screen provided an opportunity to better understand the potential of the Live Sites programme and provided training and skills for young games developers and events managers. It was delivered by a unique partnership and provided a playground to experiment with programming big screens in advance of Summer 2012.

Over the two years of the project two 25 square-metre screens, positioned back-to-back, showed a mixed programme of films made by young people, interactive games, live feeds from music stages, live sport, BBC festival highlights, a tribute to Michael Jackson (who died while we were on site in 2009) and a rolling programme of local news and information 17 hours a day over five days.

Project Strand Inspire and Live Sites

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Game & Photograph: Brendan Oliver

The screen entertained crowds of 14,000+ to groups of only a dozen or so early risers in all weathers and all conditions, tested 20 applications and showed in excess of 5,000 short films.

http://villagescreen2010.wordpress.com

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SOUTH WEST

Inside Out Dorset (various locations) 10 -19 September 2010

Inside Out, a partnership of Dorset Theatre promoters led by Activate, helped launch the Cultural Olympiad in the region in September 2008. It kicked off with a spectacular performance of Veles e Vents by Spain’s Xarxe Teatre on Bowleaze Cliffs, overlooking Weymouth Bay and the 2012 sailing course.

Designed as a series of “extraordinary events in extraordinary places” and presented by the best outside performance companies from across Europe, Inside Out returned in 2010. The 10 day festival transformed Dorset’s urban and coastal settings into a series of magical worlds, attracting attendances of over 25,000 people.

Project Strand Inspire

However, the programme is about more than simply experiencing fantastic performances. Throughout the festival local people were encouraged to get involved through workshops, talks and professional development opportunities.

In all, 400 people participated, many going on to perform with NoFit State Circus in their fantastic presentation of Parklife in Maumbury Rings, a Neolithic henge. 150 volunteering opportunities, from leafleting to stewarding, were also created and taken up by local people.

Inside Out is now a biennial festival for Dorset and will return in 2012.

www.insideoutdorset.co.uk Photograph: Roy Riley

Quest South West England 2008 - 2010 Boldly going where no one has gone before... Quest is a series of journeys through the unique landscapes of the South West in search of its heritage and identity. It is hoped that every county in the region will have completed a Quest journey by summer 2012.

Gloucestershire is leading the way with two journeys to date, one up a stretch of the River Severn and As I Walked Out, described as “an eight week epic journey with four donkeys, chickens, carts, children, young people and, of course, artists walking across the Project Strand Inspire

six districts of Gloucestershire”. This is an archetypal Quest: physical journeys through the landscape made by a mix of people by any means other than a petrol driven motor!

The Quest programme will culminate in Weymouth and Portland in summer 2012 when questors from across the region will work together to ensure there is a fair wind for successful sailing and windsurfing events... www.asiwalkedout.com

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‘In the West Midlands we have designed the Moving Together programme to celebrate our unique cultural heritage while bringing the inspiration of the London 2012 Games into our local communities. Dance is playing a key role in that and Dancing for the Games is a three year programme that aims to get as many people as possible inspired to dance themselves between now and 2012.

Paul Kaynes Creative Programmer, West Midlands

The West Midlands also holds a special place in the history of the Olympic Games. It was in Shropshire that Baron Pierre de Coubertin took inspiration from the Wenlock Olympian Games to create the Modern Olympic Games. Our Community Games programme takes the inspiration of the Wenlock Olympian Games to encourage local people to put together their own sporting and cultural celebrations.

We have over 40 cultural projects that have been recognised as part of the Cultural Olympiad. The West Midlands is also the home of national projects such as the World Shakespeare Festival and Film Nation Shorts.’

For more information see www.wmfor2012.com/culture

Community Games

Walking As One

Various locations across the West Midlands Ongoing

Centenary Square, Birmingham 24 July 2010 and 1 August 2010

Community Games draws on the inspiration of Dr William Penny Brookes’ original concept for the Wenlock Olympian Games. Held annually in Much Wenlock in Shropshire since 1850, these Games included cultural activities such as architecture, writing, music and poetry alongside the main sporting activities and inspired Pierre de Coubertin to embed culture into the founding principles of the Modern Olympic Movement.

The Community Games programme provides practical guidance and support to enable communities to stage their own Community Games, featuring both sporting and cultural activity. The programme aims to bring communities together, giving them the confidence and skills to organise activities, continuing after 2012. Since the programme began, some 16,370 people across the West Midlands have taken part in a Community Games event and around 2,500 people have also downloaded the toolkit from the dedicated Community Games website, www.community-games.org.uk Project Strand Inspire and Legacy Trust UK

Photograph: Tommy Zuliani

As part of this year’s London 2012 Open Weekend, Adam Magyar, a Hungarian artist, teamed up with West Midlands-based Development Agency for photographic artists, Rhubarb Rhubarb, to create Walking As One. The project involved Magyar photographing members of the public as they ‘walked for the camera’. 160 people registered in Birmingham and had their picture taken by Magyar using the same technologies as that used on the Olympic Finish Line, which captures 13,000 slices of data a second. All the images together created a single large image installation which became a metaphor for people coming together to create a sense of solidarity. The final composite image was unveiled on Sunday 1 August on the hoardings of Birmingham’s flagship New Library, which is currently under construction.

Project Strand Open Weekend www.walkingasone.net

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WEST MIDLANDS

Bollywood Steps Victoria Square, Birmingham City Centre Friday 9 and Saturday 10 October 2009 Over 10,000 people flocked to Birmingham’s Victoria Square for three free performances of nutkhut’s Bollywood Steps by Simmy Gupta an outdoor dance spectacular featuring dazzling dance numbers, fireworks, water effects and the stunning architectural lighting of Town Hall Birmingham. nutkhut’s cast was joined by specially recruited dancers and dhol Project Strand Inspire and Legacy Trust UK

drummers who performed from between the columns, high up on the side of Town Hall, and over 700 young people who had attended a series of workshops in the weeks leading up to the event.

Part of the West Midlands’ Dancing for the Games programme, the show also formed the

centrepiece of the 175th anniversary celebrations for Town Hall Birmingham, one of the oldest purpose-built concert halls in the world. The performance included lighting, fireworks and water effects specially designed to showcase the stunning architecture of the recently renovated Town Hall.

www.wmfor2012.com/dancingforthegames

Photograph: Adrian Burrows

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‘The Cultural Olympiad in Yorkshire is all about getting people on the move and physical activity. Our signature activity imove is aiming to transform our relationship with our moving bodies through physical and creative experiences as the Cultural Olympiad provides a unique opportunity to create the ‘marriage’ of art and sport envisioned by the founder of the modern Olympics.

Tessa Gordziejko Creative Programmer, Yorkshire

There has already been an extraordinary range of encounters offered to the public in every part of the region - from an autumn projected art project in a square in York to outdoor theatre in the Pennines against the typical summer mixture of sunshine and rain; a moving digital installation in a national museum; mass participation dance events, a dynamic archive project and a sports science and art collaboration.

This is Yorkshire doing what it does best – inventive and entertaining cultural events which combine our established flagship institutions with smaller quirky groups and artists, our recognisable heritage with sharp edged innovation in creative technology.’

For more information see www.culturalolympiadinyorkshire.com

Brief Encounters

Step up Bradford/ Yorkshire’s 2,012

National Railway Museum 26 November 2009 – 3 January 2010

Centenary Square, Bradford 24 and 25 July 2009

Last winter, visitors to the popular National Railway Museum were astounded to find a huge bridge suspended over the train turntable in the Museum’s Great Hall. This bridge, made up of 12 semi-transparent screens, was the work of media artist Kit Monkman of KMA, and represented a departure for the museum, as the first project in a developing arts programme.

The weekend of the 24th and 25th July 2009 saw Bradford’s Centenary Square taken over in a riot of colour, movement and laughter. Step up Bradford was energising the city and there was something for everyone, any age or ability, from an open-air tea dance to stunning performances culminating in ‘The Spheres’ by Australian company Strange Fruit.

Intrigued visitors were drawn to the screens, only to find their own image there, accompanied by a time, a counter and the name of a distant city. When the counter finally reached zero, the visitor’s image embarked on a digital journey, moving over the bridge to join with the image of whoever was standing at the other side. This playful and participatory installation encouraged visitors to the museum to think about their own bodies and the wide range of movements they are capable of, as well as to join in and have fun!

One of the high points of the weekend was when Yorkshire Dance, in association with DEP Arts Ltd, presented ‘Yorkshire’s 2,012’, a fun and inclusive event that aimed to bring together 2,012 dancers of all shapes, sizes, ages and abilities to perform a dance routine especially commissioned from leading choreographer Luca Sylvestrini and made available for participants to see and learn online. Based on movements found in Olympic Sports it was easy to learn, got everybody moving together and was successfully performed in Centenary Square and on the BBC Big Screen on 25th July.

Project Strand Inspire www.nrm.org.uk

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Project Strand Inspire, Open Weekend and Legacy Trust UK www.bradford.gov.uk

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YORKSHIRE

Extraordinary Moves Various locations Ongoing to 2012 When the Extraordinary Pod touched down in Halifax’s Piece Hall this summer, nobody present could help but be curious about the bright orange, inflatable dome with its crown of waggling appendages. Very quickly a crowd formed and when the inhabitants of the Pod appeared in their crazy steam-punk outfits, touting their bizarre biomechanics, people were drawn in to spin the ‘wheel of fortune’ and to be part of a short piece of street theatre – entertaining, knockabout yet touching on serious and thought provoking themes.

Project Strand Inspire and Legacy Trust UK

The Extraordinary Pod, appearing at public events from 2010 to 2012, is just one part of Extraordinary Moves, a series of collaborations led by Sheffield Hallam University’s Centre for Sport and Exercise Science and a major project of the imove programme. Working in partnership with the Huddersfield-based Chol Theatre and independent artists Paul Floyd Blake and Jason Minsky, Extraordinary Moves consists of six interrelated, cross artform elements that create space and stimulus for people to think about disability in relation to competitive and expressive movement.

The project is working with young people, communities and artists in cutting-edge collaborations inspired by the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Activities so far have included a series of public debates on the contentious areas of disability sports and the Extraordinary Pod. Elements planned in 2011 include Movement: Capture dance programme that brings together disabled and nondisabled artists, scientists and sportspeople in Sheffield Hallam University’s motion capture lab and a darkly humorous theatre production exploring the ethics and implications of human enhancement technology.

www.imoveand.com/extraordinary-moves/

Photograph: Paul Floyd Blake

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‘The main priorities for the Cultural Olympiad in Northern Ireland are recognising excellence in the arts and providing opportunities for the public to participate in London 2012. Using the Games’ inspiration through the Legacy Trust UK Connections Programme, to motivate this participation has been core to recognising excellent work by arts organisations within communities.

Cian Smyth Creative Programmer, Northern Ireland

In particular, the natural fit between Olympic Truce, internationalism and showcasing the arts in Northern Ireland as a centre of excellence for crosscommunity work has offered a unique opportunity to showcase our broad diversity and creativity.

Our major commissions have also provided a platform for brilliant local talent to lead us into some spectacular moments in 2012, putting Northern Ireland in a new light for many people outside of the country, and recognising the work of our cultural champions.’

For more information see www.artscouncil-ni.org/olympiad

Luminous Soul Dance Various locations throughout Northern Ireland January 2010 - September 2012 Unlike the rest of the UK, Northern Ireland has no professional dance choreographers or facilitators with a disability. This project is uniquely facilitated by disabled professionals for disabled participants. This programme will identify and train disabled people who have real potential to dance in a professional company or to be dance professionals.

Facilitated in partnership with Candoco Dance Company and other disabled dance professionals like Marc Drew, internationally acclaimed contemporary dancer and choreographer with Scottish Dance Theatre professional mentors are supporting dance development workshops throughout Northern Ireland. Luminous Soul’s first residential course took place in October 2010 where 15 successful participants chosen from the Dance Development Days participated in an intensive training programme.

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Project Strand Inspire and Legacy Trust UK

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NORTHERN IRELAND

The Screaming Silence of the Wind Maurice Orr Various locations in Northern Ireland March 2010 - September 2012 Maurice Orr’s fine art project The Screaming Silence of the Wind was selected as part of Unlimited, London 2012’s major project for deaf and disabled artists. Through his commission Maurice will create four sensory installation pieces on 7’ x 5’ canvases inspired by the raw, barren landscapes of his native Northern Ireland and Iceland.

ImagineAction Dungannon, Co Tyrone and surrounding areas November 2009 to April 2012 BEAM Creative Network has been working with local youth sports clubs in the surrounding areas of Dungannon, Co. Tyrone, to involve young athletes in the performing arts. Forty young participants aged between 13-16 were drawn from various sporting clubs including gaelic football, soccer, sailing, rugby, basketball and more.

The project has encouraged these ‘sporting’ teenagers to take a leap in a very different direction, mentored by the likes of George Sampson (Britain’s Got Talent), Louis Walsh (X Factor), Shane Lynch (Boyzone) and John Partridge (Eastenders, Over the Rainbow). For Project Strand Inspire and Legacy Trust UK www.beamcreativenetwork.com

most of them this was their very first time on stage and they have already caught the acting bug. The project celebrated ImagineAction in two spectacular performances – song and dance (2009) and musical theatre (2010). The project has garnered much national attention and is overpowered with interest by other youth clubs and schools as they work towards a Theatre Champions Festival in 2011/12.

The impact of the project is summed up succinctly by 14 years old James Lowe, one of its participants - “It makes me feel like a superstar. It just makes me feel so happy!”

Maurice, a well-regarded painter from Ballycastle in Northern Ireland, has never delivered work on this scale before. He has set himself a challenge to use the inspiration of London 2012 to work on a larger scale. With materials taken from the environment that inspired him, (fish leathers from Iceland), he will showcase the work as a tactile form of visual art for the visually impaired and anyone who ever felt the urge to touch art in a gallery space.

Visitors to the exhibition will be encouraged to touch the surfaces, look at the landscapes and listen to the sounds that have inspired him.

Galleries across Northern Ireland will tour the exhibition in celebration of the Paralympic Games.

Project Strand Unlimited www.mauriceorr.co.uk

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Leonie Bell Creative Programmer, Scotland

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‘Creative Scotland has a lead role in the cultural planning for London 2012 and Glasgow 2014 in Scotland, by thinking and preparing for both events simultaneously we are ensuring that both London 2012 and Glasgow 2014 are used to maximise the benefit to communities, audiences and the cultural sector. The profile, proximity and vision of these events present opportunities for cultural engagement at a dramatic scale. The Scottish Project is Legacy Trust UK’s programme in Scotland.’

For more information see www.creativescotland.com

Human Race Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh and various locations throughout the UK 2009 - 2012

You Are Here 2010 Live Site, Festival Square, Edinburgh 25 July 2010 You Are Here 2010 was a specially commissioned performance and film that used the abstract physicality of modern dance to frame film footage of past legendary happenings which took place in Edinburgh in the 1970s. It included footage of Beuys’ seminal performance ‘Action on Rannoch Moor’ on 13 August 1970, a work which marked Edinburgh’s emergence as a city known for avant-garde performance and which arguably led to the birth of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival

The performance was conceived for the Live Site in Festival Square in Edinburgh and was created by artist Tessa Lynch. It enabled us to push the boundaries of the uses of the Live Site space and create new contexts in which the public can experience contemporary art.

You Are Here was part of The All Sided Games, a programme of screenings curated

by Collective Gallery, featuring Mounira Al Solh, Jordan Baseman, Cyprien Gaillard, Henna-Riikka Halonen and Jesse Jones.

Human Race: inside the science of sports medicine is an exciting, cross disciplinary project that is investigating the relationship between the culture of sport and the science of sport and exercise medicine. Through a year-long, Scotland wide touring exhibition and associated programme of events Human Race will use Scottish collections and newly commissioned artworks to explore and celebrate the global impact of Scotland on the history, culture and science of sport.

Throughout the project Human Race will invite the people of Scotland to connect with London 2012 and with the core values of the Olympic Movement: excellence, friendship and respect, through exhibitions, events, talks, workshops, films and discussions. There is a large interactive element to the project, aimed at young people in particular, and it will also be supported by a series of art commissions across a number of art forms.

Project Strand Inspire and Legacy Trust UK

Project Strand Open Weekend and Inspire www.collectivegallery.net/past.html Film and performance, Tessa Lynch

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www.scotlandandmedicinehumanrace.com

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SCOTLAND

Forest Pitch by Craig Coulthard

Forest Pitch Scottish Borders 2009 - 2012 Forest Pitch by Edinburgh based artist Craig Coulthard is Scotland’s Artists Taking the Lead project. The artist will create a football pitch hidden deep within a forest. The artist and his team are working with the local community and a local college on projects that link thematically with the artwork, and on delivering the work itself.

Project Strand Artists Taking the Lead

The culmination of the project will be two football matches played on one day in 2012, the teams will be made up of recently naturalised Scots – two male teams and two female teams. Once the match has taken place, the pitch will be left to be taken over by nature again, to become a living relic. The

work deals with themes of national identity, sustainability, memory and the legacy of major sporting events such as the Olympic Games.

www.artiststakingthelead.org.uk/scotland/craig-coulthard-forest-pitch

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“Until this project I had no idea about the Cultural Olympiad and knowing that this is to do with the Olympic Games is fantastic – I’m kind of with it!” ‘This was a comment I had from a 16 year old pupil from St Martin’s Comprehensive School in Caerphilly speaking about the project she and 300 other young people from the Valleys took part in as part of the Wales-wide Cauldrons and Furnaces project for Power of the Flame which is the Legacy Trust UK project in Wales for 2012.

Gwyn L Williams Creative Programmer, Wales

This is exactly that sort of reaction we want from our activity in Wales on this four-year long journey. Our programme is focusing on the creation of art centred on participation and excellence, getting young people involved in telling stories about our heritage and using music as a way of getting people involved.

Our aspiration is that it will leave an enormous legacy in the landscapes of Wales and in the minds of our children.’

For more information see www.artswales.org.uk/what-we-do/funding/what-we-fund-in-wales/cultural-olympiad

Criw Cymru Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff with Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon Galeri, Caernarfon Eisteddfod yr Urdd Ceredigion, Aberaeron Swansea Dance Days: Taliesin, Swansea June 2009 - present The aim of Criw Cymru is to develop the urban arts skills and knowledge of the young people of Wales.

Participants are taught about maintaining their health through dance and discuss other fundamental benefits such as good nutrition. The project was developed by Wales Millennium Centre in partnership with other venues and organisations throughout Wales and since June 2009 it has been giving hip hop workshops across Wales for young people aged 11-18. These workshops have helped young people to develop dance skills, promote health and nutrition and build their self esteem. By giving them access to some of the best hip hop tutors in the UK today, and even arranging for them to meet former Olympians, we hope to inspire children from far-reaching Welsh communities to aim high and to be the very best they can.

Project Strand Inspire www.breakinconvention.com Photograph: Jon Ashelford

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WALES

Illuminata (part of Cauldrons and Furnaces) Caerphilly Castle, Wales September 26 - October 8 2010 Photograph: Cadw copyright

Cauldrons and Furnaces saw 300 children aged 8-18 retelling the early turbulent years of Welsh history alongside an extraordinary son et lumière in the magnificent setting of Caerphilly castle. The children devised and recreated battles, sieges and rebellions using the entire castle as their stage. Working with a director, percussionists and circus practitioners they created a powerful piece of physical theatre.

castle, and then to be given the parts of flag bearer and Roger Mortimer was brilliant. This really is a once in a lifetime opportunity.” 17 year old student, St Martins Secondary School.

“When I was told that there was going to be audition in the school for the "Illuminata" event that was going to be held in Caerphilly castle, I knew it was something I had to be involved in. On the day of the auditions when we were told about the event, what we were going to be part of and what we would be recreating, I felt overwhelmed that I had this fantastic opportunity to create a part of my local history in the

“I think that this taught me as an individual to open my mind to try new things. It's such a brilliant thing to be part of: I think it's something that we can look back on and feel proud. Thank you so much once again and I hope that we can all do another project soon!” year 11 student St Martins School Caerphilly.

The legacy impact of this activity is succinctly captured by another participant:

www.cadwevents.co.uk

Project Strand Inspire and Legacy Trust UK

All the World, One Smile at Llangollen Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod from 2009 and on going One Smile was an exciting musical project culminating in a live performance of a specially-composed song at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod week. Groups from North Wales Young Carers, Rhyl Kids Fun Club, Dynamic, the Filipino Community, and Rhosymedre School represented children and Project Strand Inspire

young people who have faced challenges due to health, bullying, abuse, social and economic deprivation, or disability in North Wales.

Composed by Mervyn Cousins, ‘The Smile’ expressed one of the Olympic and Eisteddfod’s aims – to inspire others. The children and young people performed the song on the main

Pavilion stage in front of an audience of 2,000 people, and received a standing ovation. The project has now been developed with five more groups, and plans are now being underway for All the World, One Smile, All the Way to 2012.

www.international-eisteddfod.co.uk

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Alan Davey Chief Executive Arts Council England

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The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games offer an unprecedented opportunity to reinforce the UK’s reputation as a world leader in culture. Since the earliest days of London’s bid for the Games, Arts Council England has been working with a wide range of partners to ensure that the Cultural Olympiad creates new cultural opportunities around the UK, reflects and develops local talent and creativity, and increases the wider business and tourism potential of the Games.

We work in close association with London 2012 and Legacy Trust UK, and host the network of English Creative Programmers within our regional offices. Collectively they have developed and curated a cultural Inspire programme, built a strong network of delivery partners and worked closely with Arts Council colleagues on the development of our flagship projects for 2012; Artists Taking the Lead and Unlimited Commissions.

The projects described in this document represent culture in its broadest sense and involve a network of stakeholders extending far beyond the arts. This is not only a unique approach to Olympic cultural delivery, but also a valuable model of working for the future.

I am looking forward to working with our partners to build this celebration of imagination and creativity across the nation as we head towards 2012 when the eyes of the world will be on the UK, its sport and its rich cultural life.

Alan Davey photograph by Piers Allardyce

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Moira Swinbank Chief Executive, Legacy Trust UK

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On behalf of Legacy Trust UK, I am extremely proud that many of the projects taking place within our UK wide programmes, have also been part of the first two years of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad. Legacy Trust UK has a unique partnership with LOCOG and the Arts Councils, and supports the strong alignment with the Games and their associated cultural programmes which the Creative Programmer network has built.

Our programmes aim to leave a positive and lasting legacy from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in communities across the UK, and culture is a dominant theme in many of the programmes the Trust is funding. As I travel around the UK I have been able to see firsthand the many ways that people are inspired to participate at a local level. The range and scope of the projects detailed in this booklet tell a story of empowerment and change which I believe will grow towards 2012 and beyond.

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Ruth Mackenzie Director, Cultural Olympiad

Photograph: Hugo Glendinning, Credit: LOCOG

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The London 2012 Cultural Olympiad was launched in Beijing in September 2008 and will run to the last day of the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

Spanning the four years of the Olympiad, it is the largest cultural celebration in the history of the modern Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Credit: LOCOG

Just like the athletes honing their skills in preparation for Olympic and Paralympic glory in 2012, the cultural world is preparing for when ‘the greatest show on earth’ arrives in the UK, and the eyes of the world are on us.

Everyone in the country will get a chance to be part of London 2012 with events happening right across the UK. This is our chance to showcase the best creative talent from the UK and across the world. Working with partners in the nations and regions and around the world we aim to inspire creativity across all forms of culture, especially amongst young people. The aim is to make a real impact, which will leave a lasting legacy for the creative industries and for tourism well beyond 2012.

Thanks to the network of Creative Programmers, working in each nation and region of the UK, over 11 million people have participated in the Cultural Olympiad so far. Over 67,000 people have attended 6,500 workshops across topics such as film making, singing and even museum curation and thousands more have enjoyed over 6,000

public performances and programmes inspired by 2012 and funded by our principal funders and sponsors. Our premier partners BT and BP have enabled inspiring programmes such as BT Road to 2012 and Tate Movie and Open Weekend supported by BP. Panasonic have also supported Film Nation Shorts and our funders the Olympic Lottery Distributor, Legacy Trust and Arts Councils in all the nations have made the Cultural Olympiad programme possible.

The Cultural Olympiad will culminate in the London 2012 Festival. From June 21st – September 9th 2012 leading artists from all over the world will come together in the UK’s biggest ever festival– a chance for everyone to celebrate London 2012.

There will be events for the whole family and unique opportunities to have a once-in-a-lifetime experience. From pop concerts and dance, music and theatre, to the visual arts, film and digital innovation, there is something for everyone. With over 1 million free tickets, and over 3 million tickets in total on sale, this is going to be big.

We have already announced a few of our first commissions but there is lots more to come – pop, comedy, fashion, partnerships with major festivals like Edinburgh and the Proms to name but a few.

Our website goes live in Summer 2011 with some tickets available from October 2011 and then the excitement really begins. 2012 is going to be an amazing year which will leave a lasting legacy for the whole of the UK.

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Funders and partners of The Cultural Olympiad Principal funders of the Cultural Olympiad and London 2012 Festival are Arts Council England, Legacy Trust UK and the Olympic Lottery Distributor. BP and BT are Premier Partners of the Cultural Olympiad and the London 2012 Festival. The British Council will support the international development of London 2012 Cultural Olympiad projects and Panasonic are the presenting partner of Film Nation: Shorts.

Funders of the Creative Programmer network English regions: Arts Council England, DCMS, English Heritage, MLA, London 2012 Organising Committee and UK Film Council; London: GLA and five Host Boroughs; Northern Ireland: Arts Council Northern Ireland and DCAL; Scotland: Creative Scotland and the Scottish Government; Wales: Arts Council Wales and the Welsh Assembly.

Supporters and funders of projects referenced in this publication EAST MIDLANDS

EAST OF ENGLAND

LONDON

NORTH EAST

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NORTH WEST

SOUTH EAST

SOUTH WEST

The Village Screen project was supported by the nations and regions of the UK and particularly the following: Abandon Normal Devices, Arts Council Northern Ireland, BBC, Championing the East Midlands, Creative Scotland, Igniting Ambition, Natural England, Northern Film, RELAYS, SEEDA, Skillset Screen Academy Wales.

WEST MIDLANDS

YORKSHIRE

NORTHERN IRELAND

SCOTLAND

WALES

Publication

Jodie Daber, Arts Council England www.artscouncil.org.uk Alison Edbury and Morag Wood, &Co www.andco.uk.com Steve Kerner, Curious Road www.curiousroad.com

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