Standing room only in the scene dock of the National Theatre and no shortage of interest in the four year culture programme that starts in just three weeks time. Just nine days after the Paralympic Handover we start the Cultural Olympiad with a rather large Open Weekend. There will be more than 500 events all around the UK in which cultural and sporting venues are opening their doors and their top talent to new audiences.
Now back to Beijing and rehearsals start again for the Paralympic Handover. For the first time in the Games history (we believe) the two handover segments have been planned as an integrated whole – so the Paralympic segment is very much part two of the same story. Much of the same cast of dancers – a re-appearance of our famous bus (though watch out for a few differences in appearance here and there) and the same themes of youth, diversity, energy and fun. Not everyone loved our first segment, and that's fine – you can't please everyone in 8 minutes! - but I think most people understood the important messages about London’s Games that we conveyed.
And just like the Olympic Handover, our 8 minutes are just the start of the story with far more happening back in the UK. For the Olympics there was a party on the Mall and flag raising events in many parts of the UK. For the Paralympic Handover on the 17th September, we've seized the opportunity to focus on children and young people in schools throughout the country. Not only have we sent special Paralympic education packs to every school in the country, but we’re taking the opportunity to launch our main London 2012 education programme – Get Set - at the same time.
Already we know of some four thousand schools who will be holding special events for the Paralympic Handover – and counting. That's a community of almost two million children. Now they're all back from summer holidays more schools are registering all the time. Some are creating their own Handover Ceremonies in morning assembly, others are hosting specially inclusive sports events, or visiting community centres for people with disabilities. The range of ideas, energy and projects in UK schools is as inspiring as the performance of Paralympics GB will be over the next 10 days.
As you might expect Stoke Mandeville will be a very special place to be on Wednesday 17th September at around 2pm. School children from all around Aylesbury are gathering at the Stadium there to celebrate the Handover with sports events, all manner of entertainment and a giant Paralympic flag. If the Olympic Games has ancient Olympia, the Paralympic Games can thank Stoke Mandeville as its spiritual home – the place where Dr Ludwig Guttmann created the first Paralympic Games in 1948.
The Handover, and lots more of the Games, will be live on BBC TV so take a break to watch. If you are at school or know someone who is, do make sure they share the moment that the Paralympic Games come home.
