London 2012 blog

So it is 118 days until we become the Host City for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. As Director of the Cultural Olympiad launch, what this means to me is that from the weekend of 26-28 September, people right across the whole of the UK can begin to see how they can be part of 'everyone's Games'.

London 2012 is more than four weeks of sport and the four-year Cultural Olympiad is just one way of clearly showing this. As Pierre de Coubertin said ‘The Olympics is the wedding of sport and art’. So after we have watched the world’s best athletes physically pushing themselves to become Olympic and Paralympic champions in Beijing, and the Olympic and Paralympic flags have been handed over to the Mayor of London on 24 August and 17 September respectively, it will be time for us to push ourselves away from being just spectators and get involved in the Cultural Olympiad.

Over the launch weekend of 26-28 September there will be a range of activities across the UK for people to take part in. And for the next four years, this is our chance to be imaginative, get creative and see the world in a different light. To try something new. To do things like never before. It is time for us all to think differently about the Olympic and Paralympic Games and to show ourselves, each other and the world the immense, impressive and wide range of creative talent the UK has.

My challenge for everyone is to see how each individual person can open up, get involved in the Cultural Olympiad and be part of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

Read more if you would like to be part of the Cultural Olympiad over the next four years or the even just the launch weekend