The Cultural Olympiad is a unique cultural celebration of the London 2012 Games and a number of events will take place across Northern Ireland to involve and inspire everyone. Included in the list of events are ‘City of Song’ in Londonderry, ‘A Glimpse of the Past’ at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museums, ‘Going for Gold’ competition in Belfast Central Library and ‘Light Up Carrickfergus Castle' when one of Northern Ireland’s most iconic monuments will be lit up with one of the four colours of London 2012.
Welcoming the open weekend launch, the Culture & Arts Minister, Gregory Campbell said: “The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games will be a celebration of sport for everyone. Northern Ireland will benefit from the 2012 Games in many ways including sport, culture, tourism, volunteering, education, business and skills.
“The launch of the Cultural Olympiad today is the beginning of Northern Ireland’s journey to bring together arts and sport in innovative and unique projects and to share understanding of cultural diversity across Northern Ireland over the next four years.
“I want to congratulate everyone involved in making the open weekend possible. The activities taking place will showcase Northern Ireland’s diverse and vibrant cultural scene.”
Central to the Cultural Olympiad are Inspire Mark projects. The London 2012 Inspire Mark is awarded to outstanding cultural projects inspired by London 2012 and recognised as helping to deliver the Games’ lasting legacy. The first project to be awarded the Inspire Mark in Northern Ireland is the Ulster Orchestra’s ‘The Pied Piper’which encourages collaboration between children from different and diverse communities, and explores different sectoral art forms.
Congratulating the Ulster Orchestra on achieving the Inspire Mark, the Minister added: “The award of Northern Ireland's first Inspire Mark to the Ulster Orchestra’s 'Pied Piper' project is an excellent achievement. Inspired by the values of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, it will enable children from different schools to collaborate with each other and engage with a major cultural institution.”
David Byers, Chief Executive of the Ulster Orchestra said: “The Ulster Orchestra is immensely proud to be the first organisation in Northern Ireland to be awarded the Cultural Olympiad’s Inspire Mark for one of its projects. The 'Pied Piper' project, with music specially written by the Orchestra’s associate composer, Brian Irvine, has been inspired by the Olympic and Paralympic values of Excellence, Friendship, Respect, Inspiration and Equality.
“It is a major project, part of the Ulster Orchestra’s extensive work with young people, creating opportunities for a diverse range of children from all communities. Participation in 'The Pied Piper' will create a real sense of achievement in the children – a sense of attaining their personal best. By its nature it will be a unique event, cross community in the widest sense, open to all ethnic communities and very, very special. A long-term legacy for the Orchestra is the growth and development of future audiences by stimulating an interest from an early age.”
The Cultural Olympiad weekend will also launch ten new major cultural projects which will have significant impact in the nations and regions throughout the four years and generate long-term benefit to the culture of the Northern Ireland.
Notes to Editors:
- The Cultural Olympiad is a partnership between the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG), arts and cultural organisations across the UK, and London 2012 stakeholders.
- Some of the open weekend events taking place are: the ‘City of Song’ an eclectic music festival in Londonderry from Music 55-7; ‘A Glimpse of the Past’ a behind the scenes exploration of the Ulster Folk and Transport Museums’ collections store; ‘Going for Gold’ a new poster competition in Belfast Central Library for children to imagine which event they would like to compete in at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and ‘Light Up Carrickfergus Castle’ one of Northern Ireland’s most iconic monuments will be lit up with one of the four colours of London 2012.
- The ten new major UK wide cultural projects to be announced are:
- Artists Taking the Lead – 12 cutting edge artists’ commissions across the UK Stories of the World – a national network of exhibitions telling new stories in new ways Sounds – a four-project approach to celebrating music as a universal language Somewhereto– a youth-led campaign for people to reclaim spaces for sport and creativity Discovering Places – opening up the historic and built environment to new audiences Film Nation – a programme designed to get young people behind the camera and explore their world and dreams World Shakespeare Festival – a performing arts festival celebrating different Shakespeare as writer for the world Festival of Carnivals – five linked and themed street Carnivals in the Olympic period Unlimited – a sequence of local and national festivals and events devoted to work by disabled people in all art forms and all sports World Cultural Festival – an international arts festivals as the culmination of the Cultural Olympiad in 2012
- 'The Pied Piper' project is a collaboration between the Ulster Orchestra, its associate composer, Brian Irvine, four schools in Belfast and dance schools across Northern Ireland. It will commence in September 2008 with a series of workshops in schools to develop the project and will culminate in a performance on Friday 14 March 2009 in the Waterfront Hall. The event will commence with a fancy dress procession of the children taking part from Belfast’s City Hall to the Waterfront Hall. The performance will involve the full orchestra, composer Brian Irvine, a choir of 200 school children and 60 children from dance schools. It will be attended by their families and the public. The project will close in May 2009 after follow up workshops have taken place.
- All media enquiries to DCAL Press Office on 028 9025 8902 or email press.office@dcalni.gov.uk
