Business

The Cultural Olympiad is a four year cultural programme from 26th September 2008 - 9th September 2012 taking place in every region and nation in the UK.

The Cultural Olympiad is structured around three core values and three areas of activity.

In the Northwest, the Olympiad is one of six regional themes from Be Inspired – Northwest Legacy Framework of the 2012 Games. Activities under each theme will maximise the impact of and benefits of London 2012 to the Northwest and culture has a role to play in all of them.

The Olympiad is an opportunity for the Northwest to:

• Enhance the image of the Northwest as a centre for cultural excellence, innovation and risk
• Push the boundaries of current creative and cultural practice and development in the Northwest
• Engage with young people, popular culture and diverse communities
• Increase levels of participation in culture and creativity in the lead up to 2012 and beyond
• Generate debate around the worlds largest sports mega events and cultural phenomenon.

Get involved

The Creative Programmer for the Northwest is responsible for identifying, sourcing and recommending projects to LOCOG (London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games) for inclusion in the Inspire Programme. They also act as a source of information and advice on Cultural Olympiad activities as a whole.

If you are a local or regional organisation who wants to get involved in the Cultural Olympaid and/or apply for the Inspire mark, please complete our Interest Form.

The London 2012 Inspire mark

What is the Inspire Mark?

As part of the Cultural Olympiad and the Games’ lasting legacy, LOCOG (London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games) has developed the London 2012 Inspire mark. This mark (or logo) is a means of celebrating the inspiration that the Olympic and Paralympic Games provides and the positive impact it has on communities.

The Inspire mark will be awarded to exceptional projects and events. It will signify an official association with London 2012 as part of the UK wide Cultural Olympiad - the four year cultural programme which will run from 26th September 2008 to 9th September 2012.

The application process for the Inspire mark opened on 11 March 2008 and if awarded, the mark can be used from 24th August 2008, when Beijing handed the Games over to the UK.

What are we looking for?

We are looking for inspirational, surprising, exciting, innovative or brand new projects and events which are genuinely inspired by London 2012. Eligible projects should strive for excellence, taking bold, new steps forward 'like never before'. They should not duplicate other events in the UK nor be a re-badging of existing work.

In the North West, we are looking for distinctive local and regional projects which:

1. Engage citizens in debate around the Body and Economy through film/digital culture and collaborations across the culture, science, education and health sectors
2. Provide adventures in Play and Space through street arts and animating public spaces in key rural and urban centres
3. Develop new Routes and Trails which connect people, cultures and locations through arts/sport and cultural engagement

Who is eligible?

Only not-for-profit organisations can apply for the Inspire mark. Projects must:

• be primarily cultural
• meet all three core values and at least three of the seven themes of the Cultural Olympiad, set out here
• start after 25 August 2008 and before 9 September 2012
• have non-commercial funding and support (funding should be secured before application. Project funding must be compatible with London 2012’s ability to raise funding from its commercial partners)

What benefits will I receive?

Projects awarded use of the Inspire mark will benefit from inclusion in the Cultural Olympiad national and regional media and PR. They will be able to use the mark on project materials, such as posters, brochures and websites.

The Inspire mark will link your event with the largest single sporting and cultural opportunity of our lifetime. It will also signify your project as a standard of innovation and excellence.

Who decides?

The role of the Creative Programmer is to recommend projects to LOCOG for the Inspire mark. However, the final decision rests with LOCOG.

The process from point of application to notification of result will be seven weeks. There is no right to appeal, however projects can re-submit with evidence of change.

LOCOG will award the Inspire mark to a modest number of projects in the first year of the Cultural Olympiad (2008/2009).

Can I get funding?

LOCOG is not a funding body. The Inspire mark is an opportunity for participation and association with London 2012 and the UK Cultural Olympiad.

Funding for Cultural Olympiad projects will need to come through existing funding bodies, local authorities, regional development agencies and charitable trusts and foundations.

What if my event is largely sporting or educational?

The Cultural Olympiad is for cultural events and must not principally be a sporting or educational event – unless it has a significant cultural, creative or heritage element that is relevant to the region/nation in which the event is taking place.

For example, carnivals, concerts, displays, exhibitions, fetes, performances, plays, readings, shows, workshops or other community events (in a physical or online environment) involving one or more of the following activities: architecture, archives, carnival and street theatre, crafts, dance, design, fashion, film and video, food, video games, gardens, heritage and historic environment, libraries, literature, museums and galleries, music, opera, photography, poetry, science, theatre and visual arts.

There are other routes to involvement with London 2012 for sporting and educational projects. For more information, please contact Rob Young, 2012 regional co-ordinator.

How do I apply?

Debbi Lander, the Creative Programmer for the Northwest is responsible for identifying, sourcing and recommending projects to LOCOG for inclusion in the Inspire Programme. She also acts as a source of information and advice on Cultural Olympiad activities as a whole.

Interested applicants should first refer to the Inspire mark pages on the London 2012 website and read the brand guidance.

If you are a local or regional organisation who wants to get involved in the Cultural Olympiad and/or apply for the Inspire mark, please complete our Interest Form.

For the most up to date information on the Inspire mark click here

September 2008 - February 2009

'from the region that knows how to play'

The North West’s first project to be granted the London 2012 Inspire mark as part of London 2012’s Cultural Olympiad. The project launches at Open Weekend 26-28 September - the official start of the Cultural Olympiad.

Neon Attractors was specially curated by Culture Northwest for the Cultural Olympiad and combines two light installations: Rabbit_Liverpool Biennial in Toxteth and ThickSpace_FRED near Coniston.

Neon Attractors is our first officially recognised Inspire mark project. It is a fun, engaging approach to quality cultural activity and sets exactly the right tone for the regions four year programme leading to 2012 and beyond.

Rabbit_Liverpool Biennial

Rabbit_Liverpool Biennial was created from a line drawing by Calvin - a pupil from St Vincent de Paul Primary School in Liverpool as part of Ron Haselden’s ‘Animal’ project. The drawing has been transformed into a coloured neon light artwork measuring six meters in height by seven and a half meters wide and is located on the north façade of St James Church in Toxteth, Liverpool.

ThickSpace_FRED

ThickSpace_FRED is a large fibre optic cube which the public can enter into by international artists Laura Belevica, Aaron J Robin and Feng Gouchaun. The installation will be suspended from trees in National Trust woodland near Coniston, Cumbria and will be accessible by footpaths.