Department for Culture Media and Sport

the cultural olympiad

The 2012 London Games are not just about sport – they are an opportunity to enjoy and participate in a major cultural celebration.

Launched in 2008, the Cultural Olympiad is a four year programme of cultural activity. It includes national and local projects as part of a UK-wide Cultural Festival.

So far three annual Open Weekends have been held, the first two of which attracted almost 2.5m people. (Figures for the third Open Weekend are not yet available).

Over 350 cultural projects have been accredited as part of the Inspire Programme. LOCOG estimate that over four million people have attended or taken part in an Inspire event, and nearly £50 million has been generated.

The Cultural Olympiad’s funders include the Olympic Lottery Distributor, the Legacy Trust UK, Arts Council England, the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) and some of our other major cultural and heritage bodies.

National projects launched so far include:

  • Artists Taking the Lead, major cutting-edge art works or installations across all the UK’s nations and regions 
  • Stories of the World, showcasing the best of our museum, library and archive collections
  • Unlimited, a celebration of arts, culture and sport by disabled and deaf people
  • Film Nation: Shorts, giving young filmmakers a chance to shine
  • Discovering Places, exploring the best of our natural, built and historic landscapes.
  • Music, encouraging new music and new voices in new places

Other national projects will form a part of London 2012 Festival, the Cultural Olympiad’s grand finale from 21 June to 9 September 2012. The Festival will encompass the best of arts and culture across dance, music, theatre, the visual arts, film and digital innovation. LOCOG have already announced major names such as Cate Blanchett, Toni Morrison, Olafur Eliasson, David Hockney, Mike Leigh, Jude Law, Damon Albarn, Rufus Norris and Jamie Hewlett and more will follow between now and 2012. The Festival aims to draw three million people across 1,000 events.

Visit london2012.com for more about the Cultural Olympiad or subscribe to receive regular updates.