Cultural Olympiad in the South East September 2010 - September 2012
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Cultural Olympiad in the South East September 2010 - September 2012 Premier Partners of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad Principal Funders of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad Index 2 Background and Context 4-5 Introduction 6-7 London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Flame Celebrations 8 The Lone Twin Boat Project 9 Tree of Light 10 World Stories: Young Voices 11 Our Sporting Life 12 RELAY 13 Creative Campus Initiative Background and Context 14-15 Accentuate 16-17 Berkshire This publication is a record of the achievements, events and activities that have made up the Cultural Olympiad in the South East 18-19 Buckinghamshire of England between September 2010 and September 2012. A record of what was achieved between 2008 – 2010 can be found at http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/media/uploads/se_website_images/SouthEastCulturalOlympiadVolumeOne.pdf It includes coverage 20-21 East Sussex and Brighton of Olympic and Paralympic Torch Relay, London 2012 Festival and Major Programming events, and a review of the Inspire Programme. 22-24 Hampshire and Solent Together these components make up the Cultural Olympiad. It does not review every project and event that took place but rather aims 25 BBC Live Sites to illustrate the highlights of the last 2 years with a particular focus on Summer 2012. The content has been derived from in-depth case studies provided by project partners. A full evaluation of the Cultural Olympiad is not yet complete and will be available from Arts 26-27 Kent Council England from late October 2012. 28-29 Milton Keynes The Inspire Programme – An Olympic and Paralympic fi rst, the London 2012 Inspire Programme offi cially recognises outstanding 30-31 Oxfordshire non-commercial projects and events inspired by the London 2012 Games. 32-33 Surrey The London 2012 Festival – was the fi nale of the Cultural Olympiad; a 12 week UK-wide cultural celebration from June 21st - 34-36 West Sussex September 9th 2012. 37-41 National Programmes Open Weekend – was designed as a moment of mass participation; running from 2008 to 2011 they marked the countdown to the 42-43 Word from sponsors Games. During the 4 year programme there were over 550 Open Weekend events in the South East. 44-47 Acknowledgements Within the Cultural Olympiad there were also a range of Major Programming strands including: Artists taking the lead – ‘The Boat Project’ is the South East’s contribution to a series of 12 extraordinary public art commissions created by artists across the nation as part of Arts Council England’s fl agship event for the Cultural Olympiad. Stories of the World – Stories of the World showcased innovation and excellence in museums to a worldwide audience. A national programme, The Royal Pavilion & Museums was the lead organisation for the South East, heading up the World Stories programme. Community celebrations – 4 projects across the UK were awarded £750,000 from Legacy Trust UK to create a celebratory large-scale outdoor arts piece which truly engaged local communities. ‘Tree of Light’ was the successful South East candidate. About the South East region – the South East covers an area of 19,000 square kilometres. It encompasses 19 county and unitary authorities and 55 districts, stretching around London from Thanet in the East to the New Forest in the West and Aylesbury Vale and Milton Keynes in the North. It includes the counties of: Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey Project: Whispering Woods and West Sussex. The South East has the largest population of any region of England. Photography: ??????????????? 2 3 Statistics for the South East region, Introduction from cultural sector, driving more ambitious The South East took a grassroots Our programme attracted attention September 2008 – September 2012 work and a more knowledgeable and approach to the Cultural Olympiad, from local, national and international Caterina Loriggio challenging market place. In particular working closely with emerging and media which has impacted significantly As at September 2012 evaluation remains on-going and the complete we chose 4 areas of work where we had developing artists and organisations on the profile of the region. Our public Cultural Olympiad statistics will be available from late October 2012. real commitment as well as potential and with Local Authorities and realm and visual arts strands were Creative Programmer to develop national profile, expertise Universities new to this scale of work. particularly successful in this area; the for London 2012, and leadership; these were: Outdoor We made a solid commitment to local launch of ‘The Boat Project’ made the 117 Inspire projects Arts, Disability Arts and Culture, communities in order to encourage BBC national news at breakfast, at 6 and South East Sports Heritage and Higher Education people from all walks of life to take at 10 o’clock reaching at least 12million generating 1,055 events attended by 3.18million people. Institutions. part, thus we developed new audiences. people and print coverage went as far Throughout this publication you will as Australia. The Torch Relay provided To achieve these aims we pushed for read many success stories around another excellent showcase for us and 69,185 attendances work of the highest quality, demanding innovative community based practice with Eddie Izzard carrying the flame at at 5,610 Inspire project workshop events. a ‘Personal Best’ from practitioners at all and large-scale attendance as well De La Warr Pavilion and Tracey Emin at levels. We were able to use the Inspire as the inclusion of new audiences, Turner Contemporary we are in no doubt Mark programme and the ethos of what participants and volunteers. One of our that this provided a huge boost to the it means to be Olympian as a tool for real achievements was the inclusion of 270,000 attendances at their London 29% pushing organisational development Deaf and disabled artists and audiences, 2012 Festival events. of our Inspire Programme delivered by or genuinely including Deaf and year on year to ensure that we always including training over 90 South East disabled people as well as over a dozen Cultural Olympiad commissions offered a ‘Like Never Before’ experience practitioners in how to deliver more In short we created an ambitious, such ‘Starting Line’ and ‘Look About’ led by disabled artists. for project producers, participants and accessible events. Inspired by our imaginative, inclusive programme which audiences. Such a framework enabled Paralympic heritage at Stoke Mandeville built skills, partnerships, audiences The London 2012 Cultural Olympiad and its finale, Local Authorities to win political and supported by our Legacy Trust UK and tourism opportunities. I would the London 2012 Festival, formed the largest arguments around investment into programme, Accentuate, the South East like to thank every single artist and celebration of arts and culture that the UK has 29 culture otherwise lost to them. Many worked with and commissioned more organisation, and there are 100s of ever seen. Spread over 4 years, it gave everyone, London 2012 Festival projects reaching people new partnerships and networks were Deaf and disabled artists than anywhere them, who made all this possible. The 662,289 especially young people, a chance to join in the formed. Talent was nurtured. Through else in the UK. We made sure that South East stepped up to the London celebrations as London made good on its bid this approach, coupled with a great deal access and integration were foremost 2012 challenge with such enthusiasm, promise to deliver a UK wide event and ‘Everyone’s of support to achieve it, this summer in all our stakeholders’ minds and pride, passion and commitment that Games’. But the Cultural Olympiad was not just 57 we saw stakeholders at every level consequently saw developed inclusive I have felt nothing but honoured, about taking part. It was a bold and ambitious new outdoor arts projects and performances. ‘punching above their weight’, changing practice in all programming strands humbled and privileged to have worked programme of work across the outdoor arts, visual their own and others expectations of that led to exciting and ground breaking on this once in a lifetime programme. arts, digital, performance, museum, library, archive what was possible. This experience work in all sectors. There is no doubt I am sorry that this document cannot and heritage sectors that both inspired creativity new toolkits of delivering exciting, excellent and within the region that there has been detail every single project but through 4 and left a very tangible legacy. to improve access and outdoor arts, 31 disabled artists and 10 disabled–led often large-scale work has left many a genuine shift in attitudes towards those that are included you the reader organisations better placed to deliver disabled people and a climate has been will be able to share in what truly was organisations and 90 outdoor arts practitioners underwent training or In the South East we wanted to use the Cultural more ambitious work in the future. created where disabled artists as well as one amazing summer of culture. leadership courses. Olympiad to celebrate the region, enhancing disabled young people can really begin sense of place for those who live and work here to flourish. as well as attracting more visitors and increased business investment. But our mission had one 50 underlining and very clear objective, namely to use “We couldn’t have developed the capacity and skill that we have always wanted without the Cultural Olympiad” of the region’s 74 Local Authorities supported one or more Cultural the London 2012 framework to capacity build the Lorna Brown, 2012 and Cultural Lead Professional, Community and Economic Development, West Sussex County Council Olympiad project. (Source: Arts Council England, 2012) 4 5 London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Flame Celebrations The Olympic Torch toured the region from Monday 9th to Friday 20th July with evening celebrations Paralympic Flame Celebration in: Oxford, Reading, Southampton, Portsmouth, Brighton, Hastings, Dover, Maidstone and Guildford.