What is the Cultural Olympiad?

The Olympics and the Paralympics are about much more than just sport.

The original vision of Pierre de Coubertin, the man responsible for reviving the Olympic ideal in the late nineteenth century, sought to realise the marriage of sport and the arts.

An arena in which everyone, whatever their talent or skill, is given the opportunity to strive for excellence.

The charter of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) stipulates that the host nation must "organise a programme of cultural events" that should:

• Promote harmonious relations, mutual understanding and friendship among the participants and others attending the Olympic Games

• Highlight the shared values of sport and the arts in terms of excellence, endeavour and achievement

• Promote the arts and culture of the host city and host nation while embracing an international cultural dimension

• Provide a dynamic and high profile context for promoting Olympism and the Olympic Games

Why is the Cultural Olympiad important?

Hosting the Olympics offers the UK and the region the opportunity of a lifetime to promote and celebrate the richness and diversity of our culture.

In 2012, when hundreds of thousands of visitors arrive in the UK (an estimated 100,000 will descend on Weymouth alone for the Olympic sailing events), they will be looking for things to do, sights to see and places to stay beyond the world class sport on offer.

• Some will also be looking for places to return to and explore further in future years

• Others will be looking to us for inspiration and will want to invest in our innovative ideas and skills

• But it's also an opportunity for the country as a whole to invest in its culture

What might the Cultural Olympiad look like?

The Olympiad will operate on a number of different levels.

At the top level there will be a series of high profile ceremonies, among them the opening and closing ceremonies of both the Olympic and the Paralympic Games.

At the second level there will be a UK-wide programme of work delivered throughout the nations and regions by one or other of the national cultural agencies (for example the Arts Council of England, the UK Film Council or the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council or their equivalents in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales).

Examples of this programme include:

• Artists Taking the Lead - a major artists' commission in each nation and region led by the Arts Council of England

• Film Nation- a national record of the years leading up to the Olympic Games led by the UK Film Council

• Stories of the World - 14 major exhibitions in over fifty leading museums, galleries and libraries across the UK

While parts of these programmes will be delivered in the regions, there will also be a third level of work distinct to each region and nation.

In the South West of England, there are significant programmes of work already in development and a number of milestone events that may help to shape that third level programme.

How will the Cultural Olympiad be funded?

Funding is likely to come from a combination of different sources that may include the Lottery Distributors (Arts Council England, South West; the Heritage Lottery Fund; the Big Lottery and Sport England), Local Authorities and commercial sponsorship.

It is also likely, particularly in pursuit of the aim of International Friendship, that a bid or bids for European funding will be made or brokered.

Inspire programme

• 2012 Cultural Olympiad in the South West

  What is happening in the South West?

• Towards the 2012 Cultural Olympiad in Dorset

  The UK's bid to the International Olympic Committee to host the 2012 Olympic Games included a proposal to develop a four year Cultural Olympiad Festival leading up to the event.