London 2012 blog

It's not often you get an Olympic champion anywhere near the Eurovision Song Contest. However, this year, one helped win it. Meet Evgeny Plyushenko, the 2006 men's Figure Skating Gold Medallist and backing dancer for this year's Eurovision champ, Dima Bilan. At the after-party, Mr Plyushenko repeated his routine on dry land. Never seen a triple salchow on carpet before but the boy pulled it off beautifully.

It was only a matter of time before Russia won, and they picked a massive star this year to be their representative. Not his first time, either (he came 2nd in 2006). Just to be extra sure, the song was produced by Timbaland. At the press conference after Russia came through Tuesday’s semi-final, Plyushenko said "It’s like the Olympic Games here, there are so many people here. I skated for you guys." So there.

This was my first live Eurovision after a 2 year break and I’d forgotten just how euphoric the atmosphere is. Maybe not everyone learns the songs in advance (although I know it’s not just me) but everyone was on their feet singing, cheering and waving random flags (San Marino, anyone?) throughout the 3 hour 20 minute show. The atmosphere was fantastic, as were the energy levels. Even the voting flies past when you’re there, in the arena, living every douze points.

Read more of “Olympic Ice Skating and the Eurovision Song Contest”

What a month it's been. I can't believe I've only just started here - 6 weeks and counting! In case you missed it, the 'Inspire mark' was announced this month - as part of the commitment to make London 2012 'everyone's Games'. The cultural sector is the first of six areas which will use this mark and will allow not-for-profit cultural organisations, who are inspired by the Olympic and Paralympic Games, to be officially part of the Cultural Olympiad.

If you're a not-for-profit cultural organisation and you'd like to be involved, you need to have an idea and then check it against our set of criteria (which you can find in the Culture section on this site). Then you need to contact your Creative Programmer and let them know what you're thinking. They will help you take it from there.

Who are the Creative Programmers I hear you cry? Well, most of you already have a Creative Programmer in your nation or region of the UK, or will soon get one - I would like to introduce them to you here...I'm excited about working with a group of people who all come from very different backgrounds and have particular areas of expertise to contribute to the whole programme, not just what happens in their particular region. It's a great team and the level of commitment is really impressive.

Read more of “Get to know your Creative Programmer”

I’ve met a lot of people who remember exactly where they were and what they were doing when they heard we’d won the right to host the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. I was at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds at the 2005 Artsmark award ceremony for schools, and the host opened proceedings with the news. The place erupted.  Teachers, young people, WYP and Arts Council staff – everybody. I still feel that thrill, that sense that this is going to change everything. As a born-and-bred Londoner who hadn’t actually been living or working there since 1996, I also felt huge pride and realised that my exile should perhaps be brought to an end.

But what an exile. I was Promoter at two of Moscow’s best clubs, ran a Russia-wide European Commission communications programme and then ran the British Council’s Arts programme across Russia until being tempted to Warsaw. It took something pretty special to get me back to the UK, which was the role of Creative Director of Creative Partnerships in Bradford and West Yorkshire. And now I’m at LOCOG, seconded from the Arts Council.

Read more of “Amazing experiences”