Organisers claim that the Cultural Olympiad is on course, despite failing to appoint a project chief nine months after its launch.
London 2012, the Olympic Games' organising body, is recruiting a head of the Cultural Olympiad, who will be responsible for delivering 10 signature projects. They will work under Bill Morris, the director of culture, ceremonies and education.
"We have had a good range of applicants and are still interviewing," said a London 2012 spokeswoman.
The Cultural Olympiad was criticised for failing to make an appointment when it was set up last September. Christopher Frayling, Royal College of Art rector, who was in charge of the Millennium Dome's Spirit Zone, warned: "There are too many front doors - too many organisations jockeying for position. I want it to work, but I think there are too many cooks - and I lived that with the Dome."
But the 2012 spokeswoman said there was plenty of opportunity. "Many projects are still to start," she added. "There is all to play for in terms of those that are coming."
London 2012 estimates that the Cultural Olympiad will have a budget of £40m, pledged from various organisations. London 2012 has provided £8m.
One of the first projects to be confirmed is Stories of the World, coordinated by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA). It comprises 14 regional submissions by museums and galleries whose collections will be reinterpreted by young people and local communities.
Among the themes covered are empire, trade, sex, and immigration, with venues such as nightclubs to be used to attract wider audiences. Preliminary work will take until December, then museums will recruit the public and artists to take part.
Isobel Siddons, the MLA's 2012 programme manager, said Stories of the World would cost about £6m to stage, but admitted this figure could rise.
London 2012, the Olympic Games' organising body, is recruiting a head of the Cultural Olympiad, who will be responsible for delivering 10 signature projects. They will work under Bill Morris, the director of culture, ceremonies and education.
"We have had a good range of applicants and are still interviewing," said a London 2012 spokeswoman.
The Cultural Olympiad was criticised for failing to make an appointment when it was set up last September. Christopher Frayling, Royal College of Art rector, who was in charge of the Millennium Dome's Spirit Zone, warned: "There are too many front doors - too many organisations jockeying for position. I want it to work, but I think there are too many cooks - and I lived that with the Dome."
But the 2012 spokeswoman said there was plenty of opportunity. "Many projects are still to start," she added. "There is all to play for in terms of those that are coming."
London 2012 estimates that the Cultural Olympiad will have a budget of £40m, pledged from various organisations. London 2012 has provided £8m.
One of the first projects to be confirmed is Stories of the World, coordinated by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA). It comprises 14 regional submissions by museums and galleries whose collections will be reinterpreted by young people and local communities.
Among the themes covered are empire, trade, sex, and immigration, with venues such as nightclubs to be used to attract wider audiences. Preliminary work will take until December, then museums will recruit the public and artists to take part.
Isobel Siddons, the MLA's 2012 programme manager, said Stories of the World would cost about £6m to stage, but admitted this figure could rise.
How the Cultural Olympiad is shaping up
Stories of the World: Fifty museums and galleries in 14 regions aim to inspire young people to give a fresh take on existing collections. For example, Birmingham museums will explore the heritage of West Africans living in the West Midlands, which will culminate in an exhibition at the Waterhall Gallery and "living exhibits" at the 2012 Handsworth Carnival.
Artists Taking the Lead: The initiative will feature 12 major commissions in public places. Arts Council England has spent £6m on commissions for nine regions, while the Scottish Arts Council has invested £500,000, Arts Council of Wales £250,000 and Arts Council of Northern Ireland £200,000.
Shortlisted projects will be announced in July, with the final 12 revealed in the autumn.
Stories of the World: Fifty museums and galleries in 14 regions aim to inspire young people to give a fresh take on existing collections. For example, Birmingham museums will explore the heritage of West Africans living in the West Midlands, which will culminate in an exhibition at the Waterhall Gallery and "living exhibits" at the 2012 Handsworth Carnival.
Artists Taking the Lead: The initiative will feature 12 major commissions in public places. Arts Council England has spent £6m on commissions for nine regions, while the Scottish Arts Council has invested £500,000, Arts Council of Wales £250,000 and Arts Council of Northern Ireland £200,000.
Shortlisted projects will be announced in July, with the final 12 revealed in the autumn.
Links
Vox pop, Museums Journal May 2009, p19
Vox pop, Museums Journal May 2009, p19
