Over One Hundred Exhibitions Over One Million Visitors
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In a sense, the Olympic Games are coming home tonight. This great, sports- loving country is widely recognised as the birthplace of modern sport. It was here that the concepts of sportsmanship and fair play were first codified into clear rules and regulations. It was here that sport was included as an educational tool in the school curriculum. 2010 - 2012 The British approach to sport had a profound influence on Pierre de Coubertin, our founder, as he developed the framework for the modern Olympic r e p Movement at the close of the 19th century. The values that inspired de a p y l Coubertin will come to life over the next 17 days as the world’s best athletes d n e i Over one hundred exhibitions r f compete in a spirit of friendship, respect and fair play. y l l a t n e Over one million visitors m Jacques Rogge - Friday 27 July 2012 n o r i v n e n o k n i d e s a b e l b a t e g e v h t i w d e t n i r P n g i s e D w o r r a C y b d e n g i s e D In the Olympic year, Our Sporting Life made a brilliant contribution to the artistic and cultural celebrations, recognising the very special historical link we have in this country with sport. Everyone involved with the project should be congratulated in achieving over one million visits to Our Sporting Life events up and down the country. Arts Council England is proud to have been involved in supporting the project. Alan Davey, Chief Executive, Arts Council England oursportinglife.co.uk January 2013 Introduction Contents Our Sporting Life (OSL) was a unique and ambitious celebration of British 02 Introduction sport developed by the Sports Heritage Network, the organisation of the 03 Contents UK’s sports museums, libraries, archives and collections. The Sports Heritage Network (SHN) was formed in 2004, born out of a shared 05 Executive summary enthusiasm for the sports heritage that exists in Britain. 06 Acknowledgements 07 Preface Its declared mission is: 08 Project description ‘To strengthen the network of institutions 11 How it worked working within the field of sports heritage 12 Project timeline 14 Map and dates and to inspire public involvement in sport William Kissack, Manx Cyclist c.1869 and its history’. image courtesy of Manx National Heritage 16 Key Measures of Performance 16 Stimulate sustainable relationships Since its launch at Lord’s cricket ground in November 2008, Our Sporting 18 Attracting new audiences Life built on its core values to become a nationwide programme of 20 Creating a flexible exhibition template community exhibitions. 22 Encouraging networking 24 Inspiring children and young people Inclusive 26 Sector skills building OSL was the first project of its kind to celebrate sport from grass roots 29 Raising awareness of museums own collections to Olympic podia and to embrace all sports and all levels of sport, from 31 Inspiring tourism and engagement with London 2012 amateur to professional. Linford Christie 1990 32 Social and learning outcomes © George Herringshaw & sporting-heroes.net Inspirational 34 Lessons learned OSL demonstrated the unique ability of sport, and the Olympic and 36 Legacy Paralympic Games in particular, to inspire the individual and to bring communities together. 37 Letter to Rio 38 Use and layout of OSL‘E pack’ Personal OSL made a personal connection with people and the way sport influenced their lives. ‘Our Sporting Life Isle of Man – Celebrating the History and Diversity of Manx People in Sport’ has been one of the most successful temporary Participative exhibitions we have ever held at the Manx Museum. The success can be OSL engaged individuals and community groups at the local level. Cover measured by the number of visitors who came to the exhibition (c.140,000); Top: Image © iStock the amount of press coverage we received throughout the exhibition and Bottom left: Image courtesy international press using the exhibition as a backdrop to talk about the Manx World Rugby Museum Bottom right: Archery 1908, cycling phenomenon and the number of prestigious events held in the image courtesy Pathé News exhibition space (including the launch of the Commonwealth Youth Games)’ Katy King – Manx National Heritage 3 2 Executive Summary Our Sporting Life (OSL) was a highly successful sports heritage project which resulted in 114 exhibitions across the country, seen by more than one million people. Led by local communities themselves, it was an outstanding celebration of Britain’s unique sporting heritage, linked to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. OSL was more than a touring exhibition. It was a ‘free franchise’, with a strong central core display and clear guidelines, open to all museums who wished to ‘Our Sporting Life was participate. It invited communities to explore and celebrate their connection with sport. Most of the 114 exhibitions reflected geographic communities, centred on important and pioneering in their host museum or organisation. Other types of community, including the Jewish so many ways. It found a Museum in Manchester and the Royal Yachting Association, used OSL to expose natural and vital meeting amazingly rich veins of interest. All the exhibitions demonstrated the democratising point between sport, art and and international nature of sport. The Sports Heritage Network had carried out heritage and brought them NOP studies before commissioning the exhibition which indicated the popularity that sports exhibitions would have amongst non traditional museum visitors. This together in a way that was was thoroughly borne out over the life of the campaign. immediately appealing not There were constraints! More could have been achieved with additional funding just to a huge public and the 2008 financial crash certainly affected many sponsorship opportunities. audience, but especially to The old tension between the arts world and sport surfaced in some areas and young people. The Cultural proved to be a barrier, although in many others we overcame traditional suspicions Olympiad was all the and made new links within communities. Beyond the many individual memories and the local opportunities that have emerged as a result of OSL there are legacies stronger for this emblematic of wider significance, including the Sports Heritage Network’s commitment to project and we are delighted develop a digital platform and plans for an international heritage centre at Stoke that legacies from it are set Mandeville celebrating the history of the Paralympic Games. Future major sporting to emerge delivering lasting events, such as the Rugby World Cup in 2015 also provide opportunities for sport benefits.’ specific exhibition campaigns. Bill Morris - LOCOG Director of The greatest legacy is a wider recognition of the importance of sports heritage and Ceremonies, Education and Live Sites, a willingness by governing bodies, event organisers and many others throughout and Cultural Olympiad Board Member the country to embrace the wider cultural opportunities of sport. We are hugely grateful to all our key stakeholders for their support of what is widely seen as a thoroughly successful campaign and important contribution to the London Olympiad. 470 Class GB boat, Luke Patience & Stuart Bithell © David Poultney for DCMS 0 5 Acknowledgements OSL Report Preface Our Sporting Life could not have happened without the support and enthusiasm of This report represents the conclusion of the Our Sporting Life campaign, which the many organisations and individuals involved in the project. We would like to stretches back over six years in the planning. The “Hood” report, a survey of thank everyone who contributed to the success of OSL including the following: Britain’s sporting heritage, was launched at Lord’s in 2006 within months of the announcement in Singapore. That report identified not only the breadth of sports Museums Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) and more recently Arts Council heritage within the country but the fantastic opportunities that it provided. England (ACE) for funding the National Project and many regional exhibitions The initial OSL Campaign concept was developed by the core members of the The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), local authorities and other bodies that have Sports Heritage Network and great thanks are due to all of them. We were sponsored local exhibitions, beginning with South Oxfordshire District Council encouraged very early on by Lord Moynihan, Chairman of the British Olympic Legacy Trust, Accentuate, SEEDA, Sport England, Visit Britain, Visit England, Association, Roy Clare, Chief Executive of Museums Libraries and Archive Council Tourism South East, Youth Sports Trust and Jonathan Edwards and many others at London Organising Committee for the Sports Heritage Network, all its members, in particular those on the steering Olympic Games (LOCOG) committee: British Golf Museum, Lord’s, National Football Museum, River & The project simply could not have happened without the funding of central costs Rowing Museum, The National Horse Racing Museum, Wimbledon Lawn Tennis and staff time by Museums Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) and more Museum, World Rugby Museum Paul Mainds Chair OSL. Trustee & Chief recently Arts Council England (ACE). We are enormously grateful to them for Executive River & Rowing Museum, Sport governing bodies including the British Olympic Association (BOA), British image courtesy RRM displaying such faith in our idea. Paralympic Association (BPA), Sport and Recreation Alliance and Wheelpower A project of this size justifies a careful evaluation and also provides useful lessons Gladstone Small at OSL Press Launch November 2008 © Matt Bright Stoke Mandeville that can be applied in the future. Rather than simply provide a bald evaluation with Museum networks, Museums Association and Association of Independent ‘The project was innovative a mass of statistics, we have divided this report into two parts.