The Cultural Olympiad
In this section…
Regional Network
Click the locations on the map
The South West will be hosting the sailing events for the London 2012 Olympics in Weymouth & Portland against the stunning backdrop of our World Heritage coast, so the Cultural Olympiad holds exciting possibilities for us. Dance South West has been involved in the planning process from the outset, at regional and local county level.
As well as engaging with the regional strategy, each county in the region is producing its own plan for the Cultural Olympiad and this will create many new opportunities at a local level for dance companies and practitioners.
What is the Cultural Olympiad?
The London 2012 Games are not just about sport. They will also celebrate cultures, people and languages – in London, the UK and around the world.
The four-year Cultural Olympiad kicked off on September 26-28 2008 with a huge range of inspirational programmes. New opportunities are being created to inspire young people and encourage participation from communities across the UK and around the world.
Coming up..
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Ways to get involved:
Count Me In...
Count Me In has been developed as part of the Cultural Olympiad celebrations in the South West as a weekend of “mass participation”, when as many people as possible can take part in or have access to cultural activity in the run up to London 2012. Download the toolkit here
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The Inspire programme...
Organisations delivering projects and events genuinely inspired by the London 2012 Games can apply to have them recognised through the Inspire programme. To find out more click here
To find out about Inspired projects in the South West click here
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Dance Takes the Lead: Big Dance National Programme...
Download the document below for up to date information about Dance Takes the Lead and the plans for the Big Dance National Programme in 2012.
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National Major and bid projects...
A number of major cultural projects featured in the London 2012 bid. The world-class cultural events form the initial backbone of the Cultural Olympiad:
The projects will form the center piece of the Cultural Olympiad. These major projects will be phased in leading upto 2012.
- Artists Taking the Lead - bringing artists together with local communities to create a major piece of artwork in each nation and region of the UK
- Unlimited - a world celebration of disability arts, culture and sport
- Discovering Places - introducing a new generation to the hidden places and spaces of the UK
- Somewhereto - empowering young people to find ways to access the spaces they need for sport, dance, music, making art or films
- Stories of the World - celebrating the collections in museums around the UK and displaying them in new ways and in unexpected venues
- Film - helping more young people make and deliver stories digitally
- World Shakespeare Festival - including major collaborations between leading UK and international theatre companies as well as non-professional theatres in the UK
- Music - This major music programme will showcase and celebrate the sounds of the UK in 2012
- Outdoor Arts - large-scale outdoor arts project is being developed as part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad
- Road 2012 - celebrates those people who are collectively making the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games happen
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Festival 2012...
The finale of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad will be a 12-week cultural celebration across the whole of the UK. This once-in-a-lifetime festival will bring together leading artists from all over the world.
At the beginning of 2012, a series of special events will create spectacular markers of what is to come.
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.
At the heart of the festival will be a programme of commissions by some of the finest artists in the world in events ranging from pop to film, from visual arts and fashion to theatre, from circus to carnival, from opera to digital innovation.
The London 2012 Festival programme is currently being developed – more details will be announced in 2011.
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Regional Legacy Programme...
RELAYS (Regional Educational Legacy in Arts and Youth Sport) is an innovative and ambitious programme designed to inspire young people and their communities to participate in, create and promote cultural and sporting activities in South West England. Its aim is to create a positive and lasting legacy beyond 2012. To find out more click here