New vision for Cultural Olympiad

The Cultural Olympiad, the national celebration of culture in the run-up to 2012, is now into its second year, but does the world, the UK or even London know it is happening?

The Cultural Olympiad’s lack of direction has been well-discussed in the arts and cultural world. Hit by the loss of head of culture Keith Khan in spring 2008 it looks an incoherent sprawl of projects up and down the UK.

Louise de Winter, director of the National Campaign for the Arts, said she wanted the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (Locog) to present a clear thread articulating exactly what the Cultural Olympiad is and why the sector should be involved.

But things might be about to change. Last month, Locog appointed Ruth Mackenzie as director of culture and she starts work almost immediately.

And in July last year, Tony Hall, chief executive of the Royal Opera House, was taken on as chairman of the Cultural Olympiad board, to give it a complete overhaul.

Hall has proved universally popular, but commentators in the cultural sector say Mackenzie is perceived as “difficult” to work with.

She is leaving her role as adviser (broadcasting and cultural policy) to culture secretary Ben Bradshaw, to take up the new post and there are rumours that she isn’t liked by Locog chairman Sebastian Coe.

But she has built a strong reputation in theatre management and policy as someone who gets things done.

De Winter said the rumours were irrelevant. “The Cultural Olympiad needs someone to crack the whip,” she said. “We need someone who can deliver – now.”

The feeling is that there is no time to waste. Mackenzie and her advisers’ priority is to audit existing plans and make recommendations to the board on the vision and timetable for the Cultural Olympiad. This is expected to happen in the “next few months”.

But should the cultural programme be revised midway? A Locog spokesman said the culture team will look at the shape and vision of the programme. He added that it could become a festival, as this is “a coherent form that the public understands”.

This is important, as there is evidence that the public have little awareness about what the Cultural Olympiad involves (see box below).

The spokesman said the aim was to show how the initiatives work together and that there could be additions to the 10 special projects unveiled in 2008.

Stories of the World (pictured above), one of the 10 special projects, is run by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA). It involves 14 regional partners and more than 50 museums, libraries and archives using collections to tell stories through exhibitions from the viewpoint of a group of diverse young people.

Isobel Siddons, MLA’s programme manager for 2012, said although all regions were at different stages of turning their plans into reality, most exhibitions would start appearing in 2012 and run till the Olympic Games end.

Siddons said one of the project’s legacies is that the new ways of how to engage young people can be built into museums’ future strategies.

But if Locog doesn’t clarify the programme’s aims, it is unlikely that the Cultural Olympiad will have a long-term impact. There is a real danger, according to more than one insider, that the Cultural Olympiad might punch below its weight.

- Currently participating in cultural activities 58%

Activities most welcome in run-up to 2012 (categories mentioned spontaneously)

- Sports activities 45%
- Family related activities 24%
- General community events 19%
- Cultural activities 11%

Respondents with at least some knowledge of Games’ initiatives

- Free swimming for over-60s or under-16s 43%
- Participation in sports initiatives 11%
- Schools activities 11%
- Cultural Olympiad 7%

Based on interviews with 4,568 people in 2009

www.culture.gov.uk/images/publications/London2012legacy_researchwave3.pdf