A two-day music extravaganza is set to attract an audience of half a million people as part of next summer’s London 2012 Festival.<br/><br/><a href="http://www.london2012.com/news/2011/10/bt-river-of-music-announced-for-london-2012-festival.php">BT River of Music</a> will take place on 21-22 July 2012 – the weekend before the Olympic Games begin – and will feature a series of free performances at iconic sites along the River Thames.<br/><br/>Leading British saxophonist Andy Sheppard and the Saxophone Massive helped launch the programme at Somerset House in central London.<br/>  <br/>

Young film-makers from around the UK were recognised last night at the prestigious Film Nation: Shorts awards ceremony in London. <p>One young film-maker from each of the 10 categories won the opportunity for their short film to be shown at sporting venues during the London 2012 Games next year.<br/><br/>A part of the Cultural Olympiad, <a href="http://www.filmnation.org.uk/" target="_blank">Film Nation: Shorts</a> launched in June 2010, giving 14-25 year olds across the UK the chance to make films that celebrate the Olympic and Paralympic Values.<br/></p><br/>

London 2012 Paralympic poster designer Fiona Banner with her poster 'Superhuman Nude'

Arlene Phillips and dancers from the Big Dance project celebrate the launch of the London 2012 festival where bells will be rung across the UK to celebrate the first day of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. <br/><br/> All the bells in a country will be rung as quickly and as loudly as possible for three minutes by Turner Prize-winning artist and musician Martin Creed, will be performed throughout the UK to celebrate the first day of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games as part of the London 2012 Festival, and to welcome the 205 nations to the UK

London 2012 Paralympic poster designer Bob and Roberta Smith with his poster 'Love'

Perched high above the city, a unique one-bedroom installation is set to offer a playful perspective on London during the year of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. <br/><br/>Designed by David Kohn Architects and artist Fiona Banner, <a href="http://www.aroomforlondon.co.uk/">A Room for London</a> will be a visionary landmark for the city, presenting an opportunity to celebrate and connect to the capital and its cultural past, present and future.<br/><br/>A Room for London is part of the <a href="http://festival.london2012.com/">London 2012 Festival</a>, a UK-wide celebration featuring leading artists from around the world from 21 June – 9 September 2012.<br/><br/>Public bookings to spend a night in A Room for London, located on the roof of Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall, open on 8 September 2011.<br/><br/>

Double Olympic champion Rebecca Adlington and 11-time Paralympic gold medallist David Roberts launch The National Lottery London 2012 Games hot air balloon tour at the Tate Modern, London.<br/><br/>The tour celebrates The National Lottery funding towards the London 2012 Games, thanking lottery players for their investment of up to £2.2 billion in London 2012. <br/><br/>This money has gone towards London 2012 venues and infrastructure, athlete preparation, grassroots sport and the Cultural Olympiad.<br/>

Unlimited, a groundbreaking Cultural Olympiad programme that celebrates arts and culture by disabled and deaf people, <a href="http://www.london2012.com/news/2011/08/cultural-olympiad-arts-project-gets-further-funding-boos.php">has been awarded £700,000 of funding in its final round of commissions</a>.<br/><br/>Creating the Spectacle! will present an ambitious series of performances of a self-propelled underwater wheelchair. It is the latest in a series of innovative projects conceived by Sue Austin and produced through Freewheeling, in conjunction with ICCI at University of Plymouth and B-Side Mulitmedia Arts Festival, Weymouth.

<p>During <a href="http://www.london2012.com/open-weekend">Open Weekend 2011</a> there were a number of events taking place in Birmingham.  'Jamaica Live' marked a year to go until the Jamaican Track and Field team will train in the city, and featured free live music, storytelling, art activities and cooking demonstrations. <br aria-level="0" aria-posinset="0" aria-setsize="0" jquery1322846652927="329"/><br aria-level="0" aria-posinset="0" aria-setsize="0" jquery1322846652927="330"/>'Breathe the Beat' also showed new way of learning to dance as part of the weekend celebrations, while 'Circus in the City' featured an array of circus skills for young people to try.</p>