Cultural Olympiad & London Festival Boost Britain – Report

As we were involved and played a central role in offering multi-media services to the GLA and the Mayor’s office through the ‘Summer Like No Other’ programme, we’re pleased with this report in the Evening Standard. Link to full story by Louise Jury: http://bit.ly/12s0HCI

The Cultural Olympiad involved 43.4 million people and helped transform Britain’s image abroad, according to a report published today.

The celebration of arts and culture ran for four years and culminated in the London 2012 Festival during the summer of the Games.

According to a Liverpool University study, it contributed to raising the country from fifth to fourth place in the Nations Brands Index, pinpointing places tourists wanted to visit.

Fireworks at tower bridge from roof of City Hall

The report, Reflections on the Cultural Olympiad and London 2012 Festival, said the four-year project raised the bar for cultural programming in Britain. The festivities saw a total of 37.4 attendances, and 5.9 million people participated in events.

Some 204 million were reached through broadcasts and online viewing. Many events, such as the BT River of Music concerts, were free and reminded international media and potential tourists of the great benefit of visiting the UK, the study found.

Olympiad director Ruth Mackenzie said evidence of the boost to tourism could now be used by Culture Secretary Maria Miller, who called yesterday for economic arguments to help win her fight with the Treasury for arts funding. Ms Mackenzie said: “We made some great art and we opened people’s eyes to great art. The continuing force of that, in the UK and elsewhere, is that we raised the game. If you have a great mad idea, audiences will follow.”

The British Council now intends to send one of the Olympiad commissions, artist Jeremy Deller’s bouncy Stonehenge, on a world tour. “It says we’re modern and fun and inclusive and creative, and come and join in,” said Ms Mackenzie.

She added that it would be “a shame to lose the ambition and vision” of a celebration that saw thousands dance in Trafalgar Square, thousands more join a mass nationwide bellringing, and millions attend world-class exhibitions and performances starring names from Mark Rylance to Daniel Barenboim.

Tony Hall, chairman of the Cultural Olympiad board, said it had fulfilled hopes of being a “game changer” by showcasing British talent and putting art back at the heart of the Olympics. “We all hope the legacy will be more chances to enjoy the fruit of that infrequent marriage of ample budget and unbounded imagination,” he added.

1080 Media’s involvement – Press Release here http://www.1080media.org/?p=118