Jonathan Edwards leads 2012 /2014 Cultural Summit in Glasgow

Olympic triple jump champion Jonathan Edwards CBE is heading a delegation from the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) who have gathered in Glasgow for a summit exploring the cultural opportunities presented by both London 2012 and the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

The summit, hosted by the Scottish Arts Council, will bring together key figures from the Scottish arts world and the 2012 and 2014 Games for the first time to discuss the vital contribution that culture can make to a successful sporting games. The enormous cultural potential offered by Scotland’s links to the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games and the hosting of 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow is a vital theme.

Previous Games have demonstrated the importance of a strong cultural programme for overall success and the potential these events present for cultural engagement. Scotland is in a unique position with two major events to plan for, creating two exciting opportunities to profile Scotland to the world and build a cultural programme which has a strong and lasting legacy.

To support this opportunity Scottish Arts Council has appointed Leonie Bell as Creative Programmer for the both games. Leonie is responsible for working with partners and stakeholders to map out the cultural activity for London 2012 and develop links with Glasgow 2014. Today’s summit is the first step, bringing together leading figures from London 2012, the Glasgow 2014 Organising Committee, Culture and Sport Glasgow and many cultural organisations in Glasgow.

With London 2012 now just three years away, the Cultural Olympiad is already underway. Two key components of our cultural programme are already in development, these include:

Legacy Trust UK Scottish regional projects:  a diverse range of projects currently in development which will celebrate the Olympic ideals of excellence and friendship. The Legacy Trust is a UK wide initiative which is managed in Scotland by the Scottish Arts Council. Details of Legacy Trust projects will be announced in February. 

Artists Taking the Lead: a £7m UK-wide programme that will challenge artists to lead a celebration of the excellence, diversity, innovation and internationalism of the arts across the UK. Scotland, along with the nine English regions, Northern Ireland and Wales, will commission an artist to respond to and celebrate our local and national life. 

Further details of these projects will be unveiled in the coming months.

 Ahead of his visit to Scotland Jonathon Edwards stated:

 ‘At the heart of the Olympic Movement is the union between sports, culture and education. The modern Olympic Movement, founded by Pierre de Coubertin, echoed the classical Greeks by ensuring the games celebrated the harmony of mind, body and spirit.

The Cultural Olympiad is a four year programme of cultural activity across the UK, inspired by the Olympic and Paralympic spirit and underpins our plans for London 2012.’

 Scottish Arts Council Chief Executive, Jim Tough said:

 ‘The proximity, dimension and scale of 2012 and 2014 provide us with an opportunity to curate a long lasting and original programme of cultural events and projects that will illustrate the aspirations and ambitions of Scotland to engage both with the Olympic ideals and to inspire its population to enjoy excellence on its own doorstep.’

 Culture Minister Linda Fabiani said:

 “The 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games cultural programme will celebrate the city’s diverse heritage, deepen and extend people’s engagement with the Commonwealth Games, and embed Scotland’s reputation as a world renowned cultural destination.  All parties must work together to ensure that we make the most of the potential benefits for Scotland of the 2012 Olympic Games.”

Notes to editors

1. The Scottish Arts Council is a Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB) which was established by Royal Charter in 1994 and is also a Lottery distributor. The organisation serves the people of Scotland by fostering arts of excellence through investment, development, research and advocacy. Our corporate aims are: to support artists to fulfil their creative and business potential; to increase participation in the arts; and to place the arts, culture and creativity at the heart of learning. We invest £60m each year, including £15 million of National Lottery funding. For more information visit: www.scottisharts.org.uk
2. Today’s event is part of a two day summit bringing together LOCOG representatives, Cultural Programmers from across the UK and key figures form the Scottish Arts World and 2014 Commonwealth Games team. The summit will take place at the Lighthouse and include visits to other cultural organisations within Glasgow.

Contact email(s)

media.office@scottisharts.org.uk

Issued by: Scottish Arts Council