In the lead up to the last day of the London 2012 Paralympic Games and as London 2012 Festival reaches its close on 9 September 2012, audiences across the UK are brought together through shared cultural experiences in mass, community-wide celebrations of music and dance. The week also marks the last chance to see some of the highlight events and exhibitions of London 2012 Festival, including a number of free and special pop-up events. Finally, this year’s BBC Proms season culminates in the UK’s biggest night of classical music with The Last Night of the Proms 2012.

London 2012 Festival events opening this week:

Bandstand Marathon – Communities in Tune – the official finale event of the London 2012 Festival sees hundreds of Bandstands around the country, including the Olympic Park Grandstand, strike up in song at the same time to mark the end of a fantastic summer of sport and culture. As part of a day of celebrations, Coldplay, one of the world’s best-selling music acts and stars of the London 2012 Paralympic Games Closing Ceremony, have endorsed bands and musicians across the UK to play their song Viva La Vida at 2PM, Sunday 9 September in a nationwide musical moment. (FREE, Bandstands around the UK, 9 September 2012, for more information on how to get involved, please visit www.bandstandmarathon.org.uk ).

The Africa Express sees a collective of African and Western musicians taking part in a musical journey across the UK on a train filled with emerging and world-famous artists playing unexpected gigs in unexpected places. Led by Damon Albarn, and featuring artists including Baaba Maal, Rokia Traoré, Carl Barât, The Temper Trap, The Noisettes, Amadou & Mariam, Thandiswa, Bashy, Gruff Rhys (Super Furry Animals), Gilles Peterson, Maxïmo Park, EL, Eliza Doolittle, Lucy Rose, The Bots, Rachel Unthank, Reeps One, Romeo Stodart (The Magic Numbers), Toumani Diabate and Rae Morris, the Africa Express will visit homes, schools, factories, shopping centres and stations, with the adventure culminating in a finale concert in London’s Granary Square, King’s Cross at 8PM on 8 September. (Multiple venues, 3 – 8 September 2012)

The Barrowlands Project sees the ground breaking Scottish dancer, choreographer and artist Michael Clark, take over the celebrated Glasgow Barrowlands, now a famous rock music venue. Clark has invited local people to perform alongside professional dancers in this extraordinary communal dance experience. Michael Clark Company has been engaging with professional and community dancers to generate choreography that expands what our experience of movement can be (Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow, 8 September – 9 September 2012).

Thames Festival: Homage to Rio is a day of events celebrating Rio de Janeiro’s music and culture, on the weekend of the Paralympic Games handover. These include two performances of Amas by Shademakers; a Rio-style carnival float co-designed by Rio Carnival designer Renato Lage and leading UK designer Paul McLaren; performances by Samba and Mas Bands who have all been working with Rio carnival artists over the summer and sets from Brazilian DJs at a chill-out bar in the Sunken Garden (FREE, Bernie Spain Gardens, London, 8 September 2012).

Branches: The Nature of Crisis - award-winning Argentine choreographer and director Constanza Macras creates a new site-specific show in Wepre Park in the forests of North Wales, featuring performers from her Berlin-based company DorkyPark alongside a cast of Welsh performers. (Wepre Park, Connah’s Quay, 5 – 8 September 2012).

Mandala, a bold fusion of South Asian dance, music and ground breaking 3D projection which will light up Birmingham Town Hall and Nottingham Council House, with live music performed by Talvin Singh and live dance from Devika Rao and Aakash Odedra, featuring pre-recorded tracks by world-class musicians Anoushka Shankar and Zakir Hussain. On 9 September in Nottingham, the Mandala performance forms part of Sunday Fiesta, an open air celebration that crosses across art forms, marking the beginning of World Event Young Artists 2012 (WEYA 2012), and the close of the Cultural Olympiad in the East Midlands. (FREE, Birmingham Town Hall, Birmingham; Nottingham Council House, Nottingham, 7 September – 9 September 2012).

Liverpool Biennial Commissions features a new installation by Israeli artist Oded Hirsch, a sculptural presence bursting abruptly through the city’s streets in the heart of Liverpool’s shopping district, Liverpool ONE, while Danish and Norwegian duo Elmgreen & Dragset present their new work I’m on the Guest List Too! that questions popular culture and social behaviour, examining the hierarchy of values and meritocracy established by celebrity-culture. Internationally renowned Argentinian artist Jorge Macchi also presents a new sculptural intervention at the Walker Art Gallery. (FREE, Liverpool ONE, Liverpool, 8 September – 25 November 2012).

A Hansel of Film - A ‘relay’ of 125 films made by the public, which started in Shetland in June and toured the UK, returns to the Islands for a marathon screening event at Shetlands’ annual film festival, Screenplay 2012. The festival is curated by acclaimed film critics Mark Kermode and Linda Ruth Williams, and will include representatives from all the participating regions and nations. (Mareel, Shetland Islands, 7 September 2012)

The Devoted and Disgruntled Roadshow, which seeks to engage the public in a nationwide conversation, celebrating the work being made, and facilitating the emergence of new initiatives, relationships and self-sustaining communities that together form a UK-wide network of creative collaboration. (FREE, Preston Guild, Preston, 5 September 2012).

Waterlitz is the brand-new creation from world-renowned French street theatre company, Générik Vapeur. Combining the highest quality street theatre with explosive pyrotechnics and breath-taking aerial stunts, and featuring an immense metallic scarecrow made of shipping containers and a crowd of giant sentinels created from blocks of ice, the performance serves as the headline show of the Out There International Festival of Street Arts and Circus 2012. (FREE. St George’s Park, Great Yarmouth, 8 September 2012)

Wah! Wah! Girls – East London meets Bollywood in a new musical inspired by the Mujra dancers. Written by acclaimed playwright Tanika Gupta and directed by multi-award winning director Emma Rice (Theatre Royal Stratford East, London, 6 September – 29 September 2012, to book tickets visit www.stratfordeast.com).

Unlimited programme:

UNLIMITED, involving deaf and disabled artists, is the UK’s largest programme of its kind, with 29 commissions. It encourages collaborations and partnerships between disability arts organisations, disabled and deaf artists, producers, and mainstream organisations, to celebrate the inspiration of the Olympic and Paralympic Games through the creation of original and exciting works.

As well as many ongoing events, which include Creating the Spectacle by artist Sue Austin, a ground-breaking and original piece of work in which the artist ‘dances’ underwater in a specially adapted, self-propelled wheelchair (FREE, Southbank Centre, London, 31 August – 9 September; ICCI 360 Dome, Weymouth, 1 – 9 September); Unlimited Global Alchemy led by artist Rachel Gadsden, a medley of visual arts, live performance and film which explore the politics and myths surrounding coping with chronic disease, particularly HIV and AIDS, and the fight for survival. (FREE, Southbank Centre, London, 31 August - 9 September) and MACROPOLIS, an animated film created by Joel Simon, which centres on two misshapen toy figurines who attempt to escape from their factory when they realise they are destined for the waste bin. (Southbank Centre, London, 31 August – 9 September), this week sees the opening of:

• Laurence Clark: Inspired - the internationally acclaimed comedian, presents his new stand-up comedy show, which questions why ordinary, everyday activities are suddenly considered inspirational when it's a disabled person doing them (Bloomsbury Theatre, London, 7 September)

• The Garden presented by Graeae & Strange Fruit is an aerial, outdoor performance where the artists, a group of nomadic story-keepers, climb four-metre sway poles to tell magical stories up in the air above the heads of the audience. (FREE, Southbank Centre, London, 6 – 9 September 2012)

• Candoco Unlimited - Marc Brew and Claire Cunningham, two celebrated disabled choreographers, have each made a large dance piece for Candoco Dance Company’s international company of 12 disabled and non-disabled dancers. Guest dancers from Beijing and Rio de Janeiro join Candoco's own dancers, reflecting the inclusive values of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, while linking previous, current and future Host Cities and celebrating the diversity of London as host in 2012. (Southbank Centre, London, 6 September 2012)

• Claire Cunningham: Ménage à Trois explores award-winning performer Claire Cunningham's 20-year relationship with her crutches in a study of love, obsession, loneliness and manipulation. The stunning piece of dance theatre is a collaboration with choreographer and video artist Gail Sneddon, set within an extraordinary, animated environment, enveloping the performers in a surreal, imaginary world. (Southbank Centre, London, 8 September)

• Simon Allen: Resonance at the Still Point of Change - composer Simon Allen presents the premiere performance of his new work, comprising live music, multi-screen film imagery, speech, song and onscreen text. Allen’s colourful score combines instrumental melodies and electronic sounds with a libretto by Alasdair Middleton and images filmed by artists Joe King and Rosie Pedlow (Southbank Centre, London, 4 September 2012)

• David Toole and Lucy Hind: The Impending Storm - Acclaimed dancer David Toole, in collaboration with non-disabled and disabled UK and South African artists, pushes the boundaries of integrated dance in an explosive and emotional look at the stories we tell, and how we tell them. The performances will feature dance from South Africa’s Remix and music from Dom Coyote and Sandile Gontsana (Southbank Centre, London, 7 - 8 September 2012)

• Private Dancer - Janice Parker’s award-winning performance piece, featuring a life-sized luminous house, 18 eclectic performers and unique choreography. This original event aims to offer each audience member a different and profoundly personal experience of the show. (Southbank Centre, London, 7 - 9 September 2012)

• Irresistible - Call of the Sirens - driven by a life-long fascination with warning sirens, composer and musician Jez Colborne presents his new choral work. The piece combines alarm calls with other non-traditional instruments and singing voices to create a symphony of sirens. (FREE, National Theatre, London, 5-6 September 2012; FREE, Southbank Centre, London, 8 September)

• Simon McKeown: Motion Disabled Unlimited is a chance to watch and study the physicality and movement of the modern day disabled athlete, the Paralympian. Simon Mckeown uses 3D software to create a large inflatable sculpture of a disabled athlete, motion captured animations for presentation on public screens and art-led smartphone applications for presenting extra exhibition material (FREE: Middlesborough Institute of Modern Art, Middlesborough, 20 July - 9 September 2012; Southbank Centre, London, 4 September).

Other highlights this week:

BBC Proms, the world’s biggest classical music festival, this year forms part of the London 2012 Festival. The eight-week season of concert and events features the world’s leading artists and orchestras, the largest number of new commissions for a Proms season, record youth participation and a celebration of London and composers and pieces. Highlights this week include:
• The St Louis Symphony make their debut appearance at the Proms, performing pieces by Brahms, Beethoven, Schoenberg and Gershwin (Prom 71, 4 September).
• The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Bernard Haitink, perform pieces by Beethoven and Bruckner with pianist Murray Perahia (Prom 73, 6 September); and pieces by Richard Strauss and Haydn’s last symphony, written in London, on the penultimate night of the Proms season (Prom 75, 7 September).
• The Last Night of the Proms 2012 – The closing night of the season, and the UK’s biggest night of classical music, with the BBC Symphony Chorus and BBC Symphony Orchestra joined by special guests Nicola Benedetti, a former BBC Young Musician of the Year, and Joseph Calleja, the world-renowned Maltese tenor. Conducted by Jiří Bělohlávek, the night includes the world premiere of Mark Simpson’s sparks, pieces by Puccini, Dvorak, Shostakovich and Delius and a host of traditional hymns and anthems. (Prom 76, 8 September).

World Shakespeare Festival continues to celebrate the global appeal of William Shakespeare. Highlights for this week of the London 2012 Festival include:
• Forests – Calixto Bieito – Birmingham Repertory Theatre Company joins forces with internationally renowned director Calixto Bieito and Barcelona Internacional Teatre to present an original play inspired by Shakespeare’s references to forests throughout his work. With a cast of English and Catalan actors, led by the great Catalan actor Josep Maria Pou, the play marks one of the highlights of the World Shakespeare Festival. (Old Rep Theatre, Birmingham, 31 August – 15 September 2012).
• King Lear – Michael Attenborough, artistic director of the Almeida Theatre, directs Shakespeare’s greatest tragedy, with award-winning actor Jonathan Pryce in the title role. (Almeida Theatre, Islington, London, 31 August – 3 November 2012).
• Julius Caesar – Shakespeare’s greatest political thriller finds dark contemporary echoes in modern Africa, directed by RSC Artistic Director Designate Gregory Doran and featuring Paterson Joseph as Brutus. (Noel Coward Theatre, London, 8 August – 15 September 2012).
• Troilus and Cressida – Working for the first time together, the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Wooster Group present an Anglo-American production of Shakespeare’s epic Trojan play. Co-directed by Elizabeth LeCompte and Mark Ravenhill. (Riverside Studio, London, 24 August – 8 September 2012).

Following on from the biggest London 2012 Festival pop-up last weekend, the London 2012 Festival continues to treat audiences across the UK to a series of special pop-up events including comedy gigs, visual art installations, music concerts, and outdoor events. This week, these include:
• Further dates have been announced for Sacrilege, the life-sized inflatable replica of Stonehenge for people to bounce on by Turner Prize-winning artist Jeremy Deller; the installation will now pop-up in Whitstable (5 September), Stoke (7 September) and Preston (9 September).
• The Showtime – Entertainment Everywhere series reaches its final two dates with family-friendly events in Pondfield Park, Barking and Dagenham (8 September) and Parliament Hill Fields, Camden (9 September)
To find out more details of events popping up near you, sign up for email updates at www.london2012.com/festival and follow @london2012fest on Twitter.

Last chance to see:

This final week marks the last chance to see many of the highlights of the London 2012 Festival, which has been running from 21 June and ends on 9 September 2012. Alongside the special events opening in this final week, a number of the Festival’s largest commissions draw to a close, including:

The first major survey of Damien Hirst’s work ever held in the UK, bringing together over 70 of the artist’s works including For the Love of God and other seminal pieces at Tate Modern (Tate Modern, 4 April – 9 September 2012).

Yoko Ono - To the Light - a major exhibition by multimedia artist Yoko Ono, which reflects upon the enormous impact that she has made on contemporary art. The exhibition is her first in a London public institution for more than a decade and includes new and existing installations, films and performances, as well as archive material relating to several key early works. As part of her exhibition, Ono will present SMILE, a large-scale project, conceived as a way of connecting people across the world by inviting people to upload and send animage of their smiles, to create a global anthology of portraits. (FREE, Serpentine Gallery, London, 19 June - 9 September 2012).

London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic medals exhibition at the British Museum, which tells the story of the production of the medals for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, from the mining of the metal by Rio Tinto through the creation of the designs and production by the Royal Mint. The display includes objects from the 19th-century Shropshire games alongside medals from the 1908 and 1948 Olympic Games held in London, and the 1960 and 1984 Paralympic Games (FREE, British Museum, 8 February – 9 September 2012).

We Face Forward: Art from West Africa Today  - a major season of contemporary art and music from West Africa, featuring photography, textiles, sculpture, video and sound work from a wide range of internationally acclaimed artists, including Georges Adéagbo, El Anatsui, Romuald Hazoumè and George Osodi. The exhibition is also the first major display in the UK of work by emerging artists such as Lucy Azubuike, Emeka Ogboh, Charles Okereke, Nyani Quarmyne and Victoria Udondian. (FREE, Various locations around Manchester, including Manchester Art Gallery, Whitworth Art Gallery and Park, and Platt Hall Gallery of Costume, 2 June - 16 September 2012).

Set on a cliff top in Portland, Harmonic Fields is an ensemble of more than 500 instruments, which will be played by the wind as it blows. A reaction against the overwhelming and unnecessary noise of the contemporary world around us, internationally acclaimed French composer and artist Pierre Sauvageot presents music in its most primal form – a piece he describes as ‘a symphonic march for 1,000 aeolian instruments and moving audience’. (FREE, Bowers Quarry, Wide Street, Portland, 31 August – 9 September 2012).

Red Baraat – The Brooklyn-based dhol 'n' brass band bring their eclectic live show of dhol, drums, percussion, a sousaphone and a five piece horn section, their shows are renowned for being big, brassy and full of energy (Various locations, 1 – 10 September 2012).

Alan Ayckbourn Double Bill: Absurd Person Singular and Surprises -
a classic work and a new production from one of Britain’s bet loved playwrights. This special double-bill presents a revival of Absurd Person Singular, one of Ayckbourn’s most famous and critically acclaimed works, performed in repertoire with his 76th and latest play, Surprises. (Minerva Theatre, Chichester, 8 August – 8 September 2012).

Seeds of Change: A Ballast Seed Garden for Bristol - utilising a disused grain barge, Brazilian artist Maria Thereza Alves has created a Ballast Seed Garden on Bristol’s Floating Harbour, populated with a variety of non-native plants, creating a living history of the city's trade and maritime past. The design of the floating garden has been developed by German designer Gitta Gschwendtner in close collaboration with the artist Maria Thereza Alves and Nick Wray of University of Bristol Botanic Garden (FREE, Bristol Floating Harbour, Bristol, 21 June – 9 September 2012).

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time - a richly theatrical adaptation of the award-winning novel by Mark Haddon, directed by Marianne Elliott, co-director of War Horse, and starring Niamh Cusack, Maggie Service, Una Stubbs, Luke Treadaway and Nicola Walker. Having received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics, this week sees the final nights of production’s run at the Lyttelton Theatre in London. (National Theatre, 24 July – 8 September 2012

WE PLAY EXPO – Handprint features an outdoor interactive projection of thousands of live handprints, using smartphones and hand scanning stations to connect audiences around the world, while The Humble Market brings the Brazilian north-east to the UK to challenge notions of theatre and technology via interactive stalls, tricks and tinkering (FREE, Preston Guild, Preston, 7-9 September 2012).

Mobile Republic: Digital Caravans sees a convoy of five interactive caravans take to the road as part of Abandon Normal Devices Festival. Beneath their innocent exhibitions, the caravans have been radically re-modeled and re-imagined by artists, architects and activists including London Fieldworks, Hellicar & Lewis, The Center for Genomic Gastronomy, BUREAU A and Julian Oliver. (Online at http://www.andfestival.org.uk/events/mobile-republic/ and live at WE PLAY Expo, Preston, 7-9 September 2012).

Tarot Drome is an immersive show of Living Tarot Cards led by Olivier Award winning performance artist Marisa Carnesky. Featuring live music from Rasp Thorne and The Briars, and a cast including Nina Felia, Sumi Sumatra, Rhyannon Styles, Vicky Butterfly and Jason Karl. (Old Vic Tunnels, London, 4 – 15 September 2012).

Emoto – Visualising Global Emotion is a data art project that sets out to visualise the online emotional response to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The artwork created from the collected data can be experienced online, as well as in an on-site installation in Trafalgar Square from 29 August. A ‘data sculpture’ will then be presented at the North West’s closing celebration for London 2012 in Preston. (FREE, from 29 August, Trafalgar Square, London; Preston Guild, Preston, 7-9 September 2012).

Listings for London 2012 Festival for the week beginning 3 September 2012:

Art, Design & Exhibitions
UK wide
• Imagine Peace - Yoko Ono (19 Jun – 9 Sep 2012), London 2012 Live Sites
London
• Arthur Bispo do Rosario (13 Aug -28 Oct 2012); Victoria & Albert Museum, London
• Art in the Park (From 27 Jul 2012), Olympic Park, London
• Tino Sehgal – The Turbine Hall Commission (24 Jul – 28 Oct 2012), Tate Modern, London
• The Tanks: Art in Action (18 Jul - 28 Oct 2012) Free, Tate Modern
• Changing Rooms - (15 August – 30 September 2012); The Underground Gallery/The Hub-Westminster/Davenport’s Ticket Shop, London
• BT Road to 2012 (19 Jul - 23 Sep 2012), National Portrait Gallery, London
• Casa Brasil (21 Jul - 8 Sep 2012), Somerset House, London
• Damien Hirst (4 Apr – 9 Sep 2012), Tate Modern, London
• Design Stories – The Architecture behind 2012 (25 Jun – 25 Sep 2012), Royal Institute of British Architects, London
• Designing the Extraordinary - Heatherwick Studio (31 May – 30 Sep 2012), Victoria and Albert Museum, London
• International Architecture and Design Showcase (23 June – 23 Sept 2012) Embassies and Cultural Institution, London
• Government Art Collection at the Whitechapel Gallery (19 Jun – 9 Sep 2012), Whitechapel Gallery, London
• London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games Posters (21 Jun - 23 Sep 2012), Tate Britain, London
• Metamorphosis - Titian 2012 (11 Jul – 23 Sep 2012), National Gallery, London
• Next Generations - BP Portrait Awards (21 Jun – 23 Sep 2012), National Portrait Gallery, London
• Official London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Poster Display (21 Jun – 21 Sep 2012), Tate Britain, London
• Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2012 - Ai Weiwei & Herzog and de Meuron (1 Jun – 14 Oct 2012), Serpentine Gallery, London
• The English Flower Garden - Paul Cummins (31 Aug - 09 Sep 2012), Queen Elizabeth Hall, London
• To The Light - Yoko Ono (19 Jun – 9 Sep 2012), Serpentine Gallery, London
• Whitechapel Gallery Commission - Rachel Whiteread (From 14 June 2012), Whitechapel Gallery, London
• Globe Head Ballerina: Yinka Shonibare (From 21 June 2012), Royal Opera House, London
• The Changing Room (15 August – 30 September 2012), The Underground Gallery; Davenport’s Magic Shop; The Hub, London
• Caroline Bowditch: Leaving Limbo Landing (31 August – 9 September 2012), Royal Festival Hall, London
• Sinead O’Donnell – CAUTION (31 Aug – 9 Sep 2012), Southbank Centre, London
• Unlimited Global Alchemy – Rachel Gadsden (31 Aug – 9 Sep 2012), Southbank Centre, London
• DASH Arts: M21 (31 Aug – 9 Sep 2012), Southbank Centre, London
• Tony Cragg – Exhibition Road (25 August – 25 November 2012), Exhibition Road, Kensington & Chelsea, London
South of England
• Cass Sculpture Foundation - Tony Cragg (21 Jun - 4 Nov 2012), Cass Sculpture Foundation, West Sussex
• Ballast Seed Garden - Maria Thereza Alves (21 Jun - 9 Sep 2012), Floating Harbour (North side), Bristol
• Edmund de Waal (20 Apr – 28 Oct 2012), Waddesdon Manor, Aylesbury
• Give me tomorrow - Alex Katz (19 May – 23 Sep 2012), Tate St Ives, St Ives
• Hang on a minute lads, I’ve got a great idea… - Richard Wilson (7 Jul – 1 Oct 2012), De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill On Sea
• Piercing Brightness - Shezad Dawood (23 Jun – 29 Sep 2012) Newlyn Art Gallery, Penzance. (30 Jun – 15 Sep 2012), The Exchange, Penzance
• She Lay Down Deep Beneath the Sea - Tracey Emin (26 May – 23 Sep 2012), Tuner Contemporary, Margate
• Harmonic Fields (31 Aug – 9 Sep 2012), Bowers Quarry, Portland
• B-Side Multimedia Arts Festival (29 Aug – 9 Sep 2012) Multiple Sites, Portland
Midlands
• CORE - Kurt Hentschläger (23 Mar - 30 Sep 2012), Enginuity, Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site, Telford
North of England
• Mobile Republic: Digital Caravans (7 - 9 Sep 2012), WE PLAY Expo, Preston
• Richard Long (Artist Rooms) and Luke Fowler (23 Jun – 14 Oct 2012), The Hepworth Wakefield, Wakefield
• The English Flower Garden - Paul Cummins (31 Aug – 9 Sep 2012), Southbank Centre, London
• We Face Forward - Art from West Africa Today, Gallery of Costume, Manchester (2 Jun – 15 Sep 2012) Whitworth Art Gallery/Manchester Art Gallery, Manchester (2 Jun – 16 Sep 2012)
• Column (31 Aug 2012 – 31 Aug 2013) East Float, Wirral Waters, Merseyside
• WE PLAY EXPO (7 – 9 Sep 2012), Preston Guild, Preston
• Oded Hirsch - Liverpool Biennial 2012 (8 Sep – 25 Nov 2012) Liverpool ONE, Liverpool
• Elmgreen & Dragset – Liverpool Biennial 2012 (8 Sep – 25 Nov 2012) Liverpool ONE, Liverpool
Wales
• Making Triangles - Richard La Trobe-Bateman (7 Jul - 9 Sep 2012), Ruthin Craft Centre, Ruthin
• Rooms of Dreams - Wendy Ramshaw (7 Jul - 9 Sep 2012), Ruthin Craft Centre, Ruthin
Northern Ireland
• Flags – Hans Peter Kuhn (20 Aug – 4 Sep 2012), Giants Causeway, Belfast
• Godot Tree - Antony Gormley (2 Jul – 13 Sep 2012), The Grand Yard at Castle Coole, Enniskillen
• The Screaming Silence of the Wind - Maurice Orr, (31 Aug - 09 Sep 2012), Festival Village, Southbank Centre

Comedy
London
• Laurence Clark – Inspired (7 Sep 2012), Bloomsbury Theatre, London
• Ha Ha Hackney: The Golden Years of Variety (9 Sep 2012), Hackney Empire, London

Dance
London
• Creating the Spectacle (31 August – 9 September 2012), Southbank Centre, London
• Candoco Unlimited (6 Sep 2012), Southbank Centre, London
• David Toole and Lucy Hind: The Impending Storm (7 – 8 Sep 2012), Southbank Centre, London
• Claire Cunningham: Ménage à Trois (8 Sep 2012), Southbank Centre, London

Film, Broadcast & Digital
UK wide
• A Room for London (1 Jan - 30 Dec 2012), Digital, UK wide
• The Itch of the Golden Nit (23 Jun – 9 Sept 2012); Picturehouse cinemas nationwide
• A Running Jump - Mike Leigh (24 Jun - 9 Sep 2012), Picturehouse Cinemas, UK wide
• Film National Shorts Online (21 Jun - 9 Sep 2012), Online and Live Sites, UK wide
• Sea Change - Cape Farewell Scottish Islands Project (1 May - 30 Sep), Online, UK Wide
• StoryCloud (18 Jun - 9 Sep 2012), Online, UK wide
• Lauren’s Spacepod 2012 (Weekly, 13 Aug – 24 Sep 2012) thespace.org
• Chris Tally Evans - Turning Points (31 Aug - 09 Sep 2012), Southbank Centre, London
• Throw Them Up and Let Them Sing (31 Aug - 09 Sep 2012), Southbank Centre, London
Midlands
• Motion Disabled Unlimited- Simon McKeown (20 Jul - 9 Sep 2012), Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art, Middlesbrough
Northern Ireland
• MACROPOLIS – Joel Simon (31 Aug - 09 Sep 2012), Royal Festival Hall, London
Scotland
• A Hansel of Film – Screenplay 2012 (7 Sep 2012), Mareel, Shetland Islands

Museums & Heritage
London
• The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games Medals (until 9 Sep 2012), British Museum, London
• BP Shakespeare: Staging the World  (19 Jul – 25 Nov 2012), British Museum, London
South of England
• The Search of Immortality: Tomb Treasures of Han China (5 May - 11 Nov 2012), Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge
• Treasures of China (30 Jun 2012 - 7 Jan 2013), Colchester Castle Museum, Colchester
• World Stories – Young Voices (From 23 Jun 2012), Brighton Museum & Art Gallery, Brighton
North of England
• Golden Threads (19 May – 16 Sep 2012), Bradford Industrial Museum, Bradford

Music
London
• BBC Proms 2012 – Prom 71 - St Louis Symphony, Royal Albert Hall, London (7.30PM, 4 Sep 2012)
• BBC Proms 2012 – Prom 72 - John Adams – Nixon in China, Royal Albert Hall, London (7PM, 5 Sep 2012)
• BBC Proms 2012 – Prom 73 - Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra – Beethoven & Bruckner, Royal Albert Hall, London (7PM, 6 Sep 2012)
• BBC Proms 2012 – Prom 74 - Staff Benda Bilili & Baloji, Royal Albert Hall, London (10.15PM, 6 Sep 2012)
• BBC Proms 2012 – Prom 75 - Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra – Haydn & R. Strauss, Royal Albert Hall, London (7.30PM, 7 Sep 2012)
• BBC Proms 2012 – Prom 76 - Last Night of the Proms 2012, Royal Albert Hall, London (7.30PM, 8 Sep 2012)
• The Dean Rodney Singers (31 Aug – 9 Sep 2012), Southbank Centre, London
• Simon Allen: Resonance at the Still Point of Change (4 Sep 2012), Southbank Centre, London
Nationwide
• Red Baraat Tour (1 -10 Sep 2012), Locations around the UK
• Africa Express (3 – 8 Sep 2012), Locations around the UK

Outdoor & Carnival
London
• Showtime: Entertainment Everywhere (21 Jul - 9 Sep 2012) This week: Pondfield Park, Barking and Dagenham (8 September 2012), Parliament Hill Fields, Camden (9 September 2012)
• SECRETS: Hidden London - Nothing Is Set In Stone (21 Jun – 9 Sep 2012) Fairlop Waters, Barkingside, London
• Watch this Space Commissions – National Theatre  (1 Jun - 9 Sep 2012)
• Diverse City: Breathe (31 Aug – 9 Sep 2012), Southbank Centre, London
• Emoto – Visualising Global Emotion (7 - 9 September 2012), Preston Guild, Preston
South of England
• Sacrilege - Whitstable (5 September 2012), Stoke (7 September 2012), Preston (9 September 2012)
Midlands
• Mandala (7 – 9 Sep 2012) Birmingham Town Hall; Nottingham Council House
• Sunday Fiesta - World Event Young Artists 2012 (9 Sep 2012), Old Market Square, Nottingham
UK Wide
• Bandstand Marathon (9 Sep 2012), Bandstands around the UK

Poetry & Storytelling
UK Wide
• StoryLab: The Summer Reading Challenge 2012 (14 Jul – 10 Sep 2012), UK wide
• StoryCloud (18 Jun - 9 Sep 2012), online, UK wide
London 
• Wastelands to Wonderlands – Writing Britain (11 May – 25 Sep 2012), British Library, London
South of England
• Rochester’s Ripping Story Loom (21 Jun – 9 Sep 2012), The Story Museum, Oxford
Scotland
• Storylab – Imaginate: Scota-land (27 Aug – 7 Sep 2012), Schools around Scotland

Theatre & Performance
UK Wide
• Shakespeare Unlocked (23 Apr – 31 Dec 2012), BBC Online, UK wide
London
• Julius Caesar (8 Aug – 15 Sep 2012), Noel Coward Theatre, London
• King Lear (31 August – 3 November 2012) Almeida Theatre, London
• Timon of Athens (10 Jul - 31 Oct 2012), National Theatre, London
• National Theatre Watch This Space commissions (1 Jun – 9 Sep 2012), National Theatre, London
• Shakespeare: Staging The World, The BP Exhibition (19 Jul - 25 Nov 2012), British Museum, London
• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time (24 Jul 2012 - 12 Sep 2012) National Theatre, London
• The Last of the Haussmans (until 10 Oct 2012) National Theatre, London
• The Pop-Up Workshop – National Theatre Inside Out (1 Jun – 9 Sep 2012), London
• You Me Bum Bum Train (19 Jul - 19 Sep 2012), LEB Building, Bethnal Green, London
• King Lear (31 Aug - 3 Nov 2012), Almeida Theatre, London
• Troilus and Cressida (24 Aug - 8 Sep 2012) LIFT at Riverside Studios, London
• Creating the Spectacle – Sue Austin (31 Aug – 9 Sep 2012), Southbank Centre, London
• Mad Gyms & Kitchens (31 Aug – 9 Sep 2012), Southbank Centre, London
• Tarot Drome (4 – 15 Sep 2012), Old Vic Tunnels, London
• Skewered Snails (6 Sep 2012), Southbank Centre, London
• Worlds Together (6 – 8 Sep 2012), Tate Modern, London
• Wah! Wah! Girls (6 – 29 Sep 2012), Theatre Royal Stratford East, London
• Private Dancer – Janice Parker (7 – 9 Sep 2012), Southbank Centre, London
• The Garden (7 – 9 Sep 2012), Southbank Centre, London

South of England
• Double Bill: Absurd Person Singular and Surprises – Alan Ayckbourn (8 Aug – 8 Sep 2012), Minerva Theatre, Chichester
• Creating the Spectacle – Sue Austin (1 Sep – 9 Sep 2012) ICCI 360 Dome, Weymouth
• Generik Vapeur – Waterlitz (8 Sep 2012), St George’s Park, Great Yarmouth
Midlands
• House of Fairy Tales: Adventure of the Missing Manuscript (30 Jun – 2 Sep 2012), Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
• King John – Royal Shakespeare Company (6 Apr - 15 Sep 2012), Swan Theatre, Stratford-Upon-Avon
• Much Ado About Nothing – Royal Shakespeare Company (26 Jul – 15 Sept 2012) The Courtyard Theatre, Stratford-Upon-Avon
• Richard III – Royal Shakespeare Company (22 Mar - 15 Sep 2012), Swan Theatre, Stratford-Upon-Avon
• Shakespeare Stories in partnership with the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust (21 Apr – 21 Dec 2012), Stratford Upon Avon
• Squidsoup: Living Walls (21 Apr - 9 Sep 2012), Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
• The Adventure of the Missing Manuscript - The House of Fairy Tales (2 Jul - 2 Sep 2012), Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
• The Comedy of Errors – Royal Shakespeare Company (16 Jul - 6 Oct 2012), Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
• The Tempest – Royal Shakespeare Company (30 Mar - 7 Oct 2012), Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-Upon-Avon
• Twelfth Night – Royal Shakespeare Company (8 Mar - 6 Oct 2012), Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-Upon-Avon
• Forests – Calixto Bieito (31 Aug – 15 Sep 2012) Old Rep Theatre, Birmingham
North of England
• Golden Threads (19 May – 16 Sep 2012), Bradford Imperial Museum, Bradford
Wales
• Branches: The Nature of Crisis (5-8 Sep 2012), Connnah’s Quay, Flintshire
Scotland
• Michael Clark - Barrowlands (8 - 9 Sep 2012), Barrowlands, Glasgow

All the London 2012 Festival events can be found at www.london2012.com/festival. Follow us on twitter @London2012Fest http://twitter.com/london2012fest and find us on Facebook www.facebook.com/London2012Festival

A selection of press images of the key events from the London 2012 Festival can be found here: http://mm.gettyimages.com/mm/nicePath/locog?nav=pr169131706 

If you require more images please contact the London 2012 Festival Press Office, details below.

The London 2012 Festival is the finale of the Cultural Olympiad. Since the Cultural Olympiad started in 2008 over 18 million people all over the UK have already participated in or attended over 9,000 performances and more than 8,000 workshops as part of Cultural Olympiad programmes inspired by London 2012 and funded by our principal funders and sponsors.  

Principal Funders of the Cultural Olympiad and London 2012 Festival are Arts Council England, Legacy Trust UK and the Olympic Lottery Distributor. BP and BT are Premier Partners of the Cultural Olympiad and the London 2012 Festival.

Supporters of the London 2012 Festival are BMW, Eurostar, Freshfields, King’s College London, Panasonic, Samsung, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Arts Council of Wales, BBC, British Council, Creative Scotland, DCAL, DCMS, Festivals Edinburgh, Mayor Of London, Northern Ireland Tourist Board, Visit Britain and Visit Scotland. 

Notes to Editors:
 
For more information on the London 2012 Festival:
London 2012 Festival Press Office
Telephone: +44 (0)203 2012 021
Email: press@london2012festival.org
 
For more information on London 2012:
For further information please contact the London 2012 Press Office on +44 (0)203 2012 100 or visit the website at www.london2012.com.
 
Find out the latest from London 2012 HQ on our blog http://www.london2012.com/blog , follow us on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/london2012 or download the Official London 2012 Join In app.
 
The Official London 2012 Join In app is a free mobile guide to help you plan, enjoy and share your Games experience. From the Olympic Torch Relay to the Olympics and Paralympics, the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, plus all the cultural, city and community celebrations happening across the UK, the Official London 2012 Join In App is your essential companion. It is available now at app stores and athttp://www.london2012.com/mobileapps/
 
London 2012 Festival Press Office
Open daily: 20 June – 9 September 2012
In addition to the continuing media centre at LOCOG’s Canary Wharf offices, throughout the twelve weeks of the London 2012 Festival, there is a fully staffed London 2012 Festival Press Office conveniently located at King’s College on the Strand, serving journalists based in London or visiting from the rest of the UK and overseas.
 
The London 2012 Festival Press Office provides a welcoming central London location for media, with a programme of regular briefings, interview opportunities, with space to work and free Wifi. The Press Office is staffed with a specialist team of cultural press officers, who act as a single point of contact for all London 2012 Festival-related media enquiries.
 
Office location: King’s College London, Strand Campus, Strand, London WC2R 2LS
Office hours: 10AM – 7PM daily (20 June – 9 September)
Closest Underground Stations: Temple, Holborn, Charing Cross
Telephone: +44 (0)203 2012 021
Email: press@london2012festival.org
 
London 2012 Games partners:
The Worldwide Olympic Partners who support the London 2012 Olympic Games and the National Olympic Committees around the world are Coca-Cola, Acer, Atos, Dow, GE, McDonald’s, Omega, Panasonic, Procter and Gamble, Samsung and Visa.
 
LOCOG has seven domestic Tier One Partners - adidas, BMW, BP, British Airways, BT, EDF and Lloyds TSB. There are seven domestic Tier Two Supporters – Adecco, ArcelorMittal, Cadbury, Cisco, Deloitte, Thomas Cook and UPS. There are now twenty-eight domestic Tier Three Suppliers and Providers – Aggreko, Airwave, Atkins, Boston Consulting Group, CBS Outdoor, Crystal CG, Eurostar, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, G4S, GSK, Gymnova, Heathrow Airport, Heineken UK, Holiday Inn, John Lewis, McCann Worldgroup, Mondo, NATURE VALLEY, Next, Nielsen, Populous, Rapiscan Systems, Rio Tinto, Technogym, Thames Water, Ticketmaster, Trebor and Westfield.
 
There is one domestic Tier One Paralympic Games-only Partner, Sainsbury’s and two domestic Tier Three Paralympic Games-only Suppliers, Otto Bock and Panasonic. The London 2012 Paralympic Games also acknowledges the support of the National Lottery.