Bath & North East Somerset Council - Cultural Olympiad

Cultural Olympiad – London 2012

Contents

Introduction

Bath and North East Somerset

Introduction

The Cultural Olympiad is the supporting programme alongside the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The UK’s successful bid to host the 2012 Games was built upon a commitment to make the Cultural Olympiad a central focus throughout the four years of preparation from 2008 leading up to 2012.

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2012 Olympic Games

The most comprehensive guide to London 2012 is on the Olympics Website

This satellite site has extensive resources and information for schools and community projects.

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Cultural Olympiad

You can find out about the national plans and projects for the Cultural Olympiad here:
Cultural Olympiad

The term ‘culture’ is defined very broadly to encompass arts, heritage and history, learning and education, tourism, and the environment.

The Cultural Olympiad and all associated projects and activities are built on three Values and seven Themes:

Values

Celebrate London and the whole of the UK welcoming the world – our unique internationalism, cultural diversity, sharing and understanding
Inspire and involve young people
Generate a positive legacy – for example through cultural and sports participation, audience development, cultural skills, capacity building, urban regeneration, tourism, and social cohesion and international links

Themes

Bringing together culture and sport
Encouraging audiences to take part
Animating public spaces – through street theatre, public art, circus skills, live big screen sites
Using culture and sport to raise issues of environmental sustainability, health and wellbeing
Honouring and sharing the values of the Olympic and Paralympic Games
Encouraging collaborations and innovation between communities and cultural sectors
Enhancing the learning, skills and personal development of young people by linking with education programmes

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Getting Involved

London 2012 encourages communities around the UK to get involved and be part of the Olympics celebrations.

There is no special funding available from LOCOG (the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games), but the national agencies funding cultural and sports activities all have their own programmes, some of which include funding schemes. You can find out about Cultural Olympiad plans from the main cultural agencies here:

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South-West region

The Battle for the Winds is a unique theatrical event to mark the opening celebrations of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Sailing events in Weymouth (July 26-28th 2012). It has been created and produced by Bristol-based circus and street theatre companies Cirque Bijou and the Desperate Men, in collaboration with seven lead artists gathered from across the South West plus the integrated performance company Breathe.

Find out more by visiting the Battle for the Winds website

Battle for the Winds involves communities across the south-west. Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Arts Development team is arranging to host three visits from the Battle for the Winds performance to locations in Bath and North East Somerset during spring and summer 2012.

Find out more by visiting the Battle for the Winds: Gatherings web page

Check local press and what’s on websites for details in spring 2012.

Bath and North East Somerset

The Olympic Torch will come through Bath on Tuesday 22 May 2012. Find out more by visiting the Council's Torch Relay Route web page

The Council is planning a big community participation project for 2012 – the Quest community challenge - which will take place in communities across the local area. Watch out for more details soon, and a new interactive project website where you can get involved in creating your own Quest challenge.

Kate Orchard is the Project Manager for the Quest Project. Her contact details are:

Kate Orchard
Cultural Olympiad Quest Project Manager
Tel: 01225 396059
Email: kate_orchard@bathnes.gov.uk

Many local cultural organisations are planning their own themed projects and events for 2012. Check local press and what’s on websites for details.

Bath & North East Somerset Council will be putting on some special events as well. Watch local press for details of events to mark the 25th anniversary of Bath becoming a World Heritage Site; local celebrations for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee at the beginning of June; a family music and sports festival in July; and an exciting carnival project in August to mark the handover from London 2012 to Rio de Janeiro.

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Contact Details for this page:

Team/Service:

Arts Development

Telephone:

01225 396432

Fax:

Minicom:

Email:

peter_salt@bathnes.gov.uk

Address:

Leisure & Culture