Cultural Olympiad

What is a Cultural Olympiad?

Every Games is required by the International Olympic Committee to stage a cultural programme. It is, however, left to each Games to determine the scale and nature of such a cultural celebration. The UK's 4-year Cultural Olympiad kicked off nationally on 26 September 2008. In Kent we celebrated this national launch in Dover, Margate, and across Swale district.

The UK's Cultural Olympiad has 3 official themes. These are 'Inspiring and Involving Young People', 'Creating a Legacy' and 'Celebrate London and the UK welcoming the World'.

The UK's Cultural Olympiad also has 3 sections:

1. Ceremonies - extraordinary live spectacles such as the Opening and Closing ceremonies, medal ceremonies, and the Torch relay, watched on television by 1 in 3 people around the world.
2. Major projects - A number of major national cultural projects featured in the London 2012 bid, which form the backbone of the Cultural Olympiad.
   These include:
   • Artists Taking the Lead (12 artists' commissions across the UK).
   • Somewhereto (a project to empower young people to find ways to access space for sport or cultural activity).
   • Unlimited (a series of commissions and workshops for disabled artists and arts organisations).
   A member of the Kent 2012 Arts sectoral task group (see below) has been appointed to link in with each of these as they develop.
3. Inspire mark projects - the Inspire Mark will be awarded to local and regional events featuring in London 2012's officially branded UK-wide celebration. The brand will be available to not-for-profit cultural events for up to 12 months usage. Criteria for accreditation to the brand will be tough - check out the London 2012's Inspire Mark website if you are interested in participating.

What's happening in Kent?

Locally, Kent has identified the following as our top priorities for the Arts in Kent off the back of the London 2012 Games

• Continue to explore/establish an outdoor events toolkit.
• Invest in and grow Kent's existing series of festivals, focusing in particular on developing volunteers in arts programmes.
• Explore the establishment of a Creation Centre or Centres in 1 or more key locations in Kent, including the Thames Gateway Kent.
• Use arts to create a sense of place and improve the public realm experience for visitors, focusing in particular on transport hubs.
• Continue through partners to track/monitor and input to each strand of the Cultural Olympiad Major Projects.
• Input and support the County's bid for the Olympic Torch to enter the UK through Dover in 2012.
• Explore ways to promote and enhance existing arts activity through using the Olympic and Paralympic Values.
• Respond to and influence the South East's Accentuate programme.
• Partners in the Kent Campaign for the 2012 Games Arts sectoral task group have identified these priorities and are working with wider partners to deliver these to create a long term benefit to the Kent Arts sector from the London 2012 Games.

For more information on any aspect of Kent, the Cultural Olympiad or the Arts, and the London 2012 Games, please email us at arts@kent.gov.uk or visit Kent 2012 Arts.