04 September 2008
Northwest Opens Up For National Launch Of The Cultural
Olympiad
The Cultural Olympiad of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic
Games will launch on the weekend of Friday 26th to Sunday 28th
September with hundreds of events taking place across the country,
including the Northwest. Plans for the Cultural Olympiad,
launched today by London 2012 include:
• Four years of cultural celebration, excellence and
participation
• Inspire mark awarded to a Northwest project.
• Major national projects
Inspired by the founder of the modern Olympic movement, Pierre
de Coubertin’s idea of a marriage of sport and the arts, the
Cultural Olympiad is designed to celebrate Olympic and Paralympic
values in the cultural field. Over £40 million has already been
earmarked for cultural activities across the United Kingdom that
will create a welcome to the world for the 2012 Games. It will
highlight the country’s regional diversity by using both culture
and sport to create works and events that will bring people and
places together, encourage audiences to take part, involve and
inspire young people, and create a lasting legacy.
The launch weekend is themed ‘Open Weekend’ with cultural
organisations across the country kicking off the celebrations for
the Cultural Olympiad with many institutions and organisations
offering the public the chance to see or take part in something
which is happening as a special event, or that would normally take
place behind the scenes.
The weekend is designed to fulfil the commitment that the London
2012 Games will involve and inspire everyone in the UK and across
the world. The programme also includes projects which have been
awarded the Inspire mark, recognising the quality and diversity of
the work of large and small organisations around the country which
would otherwise not be able to take part. This will be a
first for any Olympic organising committee, leading the way for
other host cities after London to adopt this more national and
inclusive approach.
Over 30 Northwest ‘Open Weekend’ events are taking place
throughout the region including a signature programme of four
outdoor events.
For further details of the Open Weekend in the Northwest please
see the full press release at: http://www.london2012.com/news/media-releases/index.php