Major Projects
Artists Taking the Lead (Now until 2012)
Developed by Arts Council England, in partnership with London 2012 and the Arts Councils of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, twelve extra-ordinary new commissions are being created by artists across the UK in the run up to the 2012 Games in order to celebrate the cultural heritage of the UK’s regions and nations.
Unlimited (Now until 2012)
Unlimited will profile and celebrate the creative talents and ambitions of disabled and deaf artists in order to challenge the outdated perceptions of disability.
£1.9 million in commissions has been awarded to support high-quality collaborations between disability arts organisations, disabled artists and producers and mainstream arts organisations. 35 commissions have been appointed after the full three rounds of entries. To date, work has been performed on a variety of national and international stages and has received critical acclaim.
Discovering Places ( Now until 23 July 2012)
Discovering Places is a UK-wide campaign giving participants the opportunity to discover, explore, be inspired by the historical, built and natural environment. These landscapes of the UK are revealed through open days, participation and performance events. These events involve both iconic and undiscovered urban and rural sites across the UK and will culminate in a series of large scale activities as part of the London 2012 Festival.
Road to 2012 (Now until 2012)
The journey to London 2012 will be recorded in 100 commissioned photographic portraits, interviews, East London perspectives and national responses. The first phase of the project, Setting Out, featured 30 portraits that show Olympians and Paralympians, as well as those involved in the London 2012 bid. The second commission, Changing Pace, showcased the people delivering the games and world-class UK athletes along with the people who support their ambitions.
Stories of the World (Now until 2012)
Stories of the World give people of all backgrounds and from every part of the UK an opportunity to become 'curators' of artisitic collections. A series of exhibitions at over 50 museums, libraries and archives across the UK will focus on themes including fashion, seasons, faith and immigration and have huge curatorial input from young people. A unifying theme for the exhibitions will be ‘welcoming the world’ for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Film Nation: Shorts (Now until 2012)
Developed in partnership with Panasonic, the UK Film Council, Screen West Midlands and First Light; Film Nation: Shorts gives 14-25 year olds the chance to make films celebrating the values of the 2012 Games. Annual regional and national awards ceremonies between now and 2012 will celebrate the best work, and the very best will be screened at venues during the 2012 Games, as well as on giant Live Site screens around the UK, on the London 2012 website, and on a dedicated Film Nation website. The first round of awards was announced in December 2010.
Tate Movie Project (Now until 2011)
The Tate Movie Project will create an animated film made by and for children across the UK. Children from 5-13 years old recently took part in a series of roadshows run by the Tate, Aardman Animations and the BBC. The movie produced as a result of these workshops will be released in the summer of 2011.
New Music 20x12 (Now until 2012)
The PRS for Music Foundation, in collaboration with BBC Radio 3, London 2012 and Sound and Music; has invited ensembles, festivals, music venues and organisations to submit ideas for new compositions inspired by the 2012 Games. On 10 December 2010, 20 new commissions were announced. The new works, each 12 minutes long, will premier in 2012.
Youth Music Voices (Now until 2012)
Voices is a new project providing 14-19 year olds with the opportunity to engage with the 2012 Games through singing. Young singers were invited to take part in launch events throughout the autumn 2010 followed by regional selection workshops. Up to 150 young singers (aged 16 – 21 by 2012) from across the UK will be chosen to take part in three residential singing courses from 2011 in preparation for public performances from February – September 2012. Run by Youth Music, the Voices Ensemble will be a youth vocal ensemble with its own style, individuality, leadership, and specially commissioned repertoire of new songs and arrangements.
Somewhereto (Now until 2012)
Somewhereto is a campaign by the Legacy Trust UK to empower young people to access space to do their thing - be it sport, art, music, fashion or film. Somewhereto will help them overcome any barriers standing in their way - whether a lack of funds, lack of facilities, not knowing where to start or too much red tape.
World Shakespeare Festival (23 April 2012 – 9 September 2012)
It would be unthinkable to have a major cultural festival during 2012 without celebrating our most famous cultural icon – William Shakespeare. The Royal Shakespeare Company, led by Deborah Shaw, is creating an extraordinary celebration of his work to mark 2012. A series of high profile productions has been developed and will be performed in cities including Stratford-upon-Avon, Newcastle, Edinburgh and London culminating just before the Games. Over 50 arts organisations from across the world have come together to produce close to 70 productions. Tickets are available from the World Shakespeare Festival website.
London 2012 Festival (21 June 2012 – 9 September 2012)
At the heart of the festival will be a programme of commissions by some of the finest artists in the world in events ranging from pop to film, visual arts and fashion to theatre, circus to carnival, opera to digital innovation. The full programme of events was announced in November 2011 and tickets are now onsale.
BT River of Music (21 July 2012 – 22 July 2012)
River of Music will welcome the world to London the weekend before the London 2012 Games with a two-day, free festival at iconic sites along the River Thames. Produced by Serious, the event will see large-scale outdoor stages will be positioned along the Thames, each focusing on music and performing arts from different continents. The event will showcase world-class music from across the globe in addition to emerging British talent.
