East of England Cultural Olympiad Update
January 2011
Happy New Year!
This update includes information on
1. Announcement of the first London 2012 Festival commissions
2. Carnival Crossroads creative lead and hub locations announced
3. The Screen Team invites expressions of interest for outdoor events
4. Team East for Skills looks for partners in final year of programme
5. Somewhereto about to recruit organisations and individuals to lead work in the
East
6. Live Arts Collective East announce projects for 2012
7. Launch of website for Artists Taking the Lead – On Landguard Point
8. Registering Open Weekend events for 22 – 24 July 2011
9. Film Nation Shorts winners announced
10. Tate Movie workshops happening in the East of England and online
11. Youth Music Voices recruitment event on 30 January
12. Update on new culture Inspire Mark projects in the East
o Inspired to Jam
o Cycle and Seek
o Sing Up Canvey Island
o Chance to Dance
o Dreams and Memories
13. YouthNet‟s Inspiration and Legacy from the 2012 Games project
14. News in Brief – a collection of recent news and updates
15. Calendar of key events in 2011 & 2012
Keeping up to date
As we approach the Games the amount of activity increases.
To receive updates from Liz Hughes, Creative Programmer for the East of England
for London 2012 email marc.atkinson@artscouncil.org.uk to join the mailing list.
To receive regular bulletins from information from the Culture team at London 2012
register at https://www.london2012.com/settings/login.php?reason=newsletter
To receive updates from Nations and Regions East please sign up for email updates
at http://www.risingtothechallengeeast.co.uk/subscribe/ (you can also register to
receive alerts on culture news here).
Liz Hughes
Creative Programmer for the East of England,
London 2012
liz.hughes@artscouncil.org.uk
07595 091333
The Creative Programmer post is hosted by Arts Council England on behalf of London 2012. The post
is funded byLondon 2012, Arts Council England, the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, English
Heritage, the Museums Libraries and Archives Council and Screen East.
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1 London 2012 Festival first commissions announced
Cate Blanchett, Toni Morrison, Olafur Eliasson, David Hockney, Mike Leigh, Jude
Law and Damon Albarn, Rufus Norris & Jamie Hewlett head the line-up of artists
featured in the first group of commissions and special projects for the London 2012
Festival. The finale of the Cultural Olympiad, the London 2012 Festival will be a 12-
week UK-wide cultural celebration! Opening Midsummer‟s Day 21 June 2012 and
running until the last day of the London 2012 Paralympic Games on 9 September
2012, the Festival will provide an outstanding summer of arts and creativity in the
UK.
For more information visit http://www.london2012.com/news/2010/12/leading-
international-artists-head-up-first-commissions-.php
2 Carnival Crossroads
Included in the announcement was that Keith Khan will be the Artistic Facilitator for
the UK Centre for Carnival Arts Carnival Crossroads project, and that this will be part
of the Festival in 2012. The project is funded by the Legacy Trust UK and Arts
Council England. The hubs for the project have been announced as Cambridge,
Ipswich, Norwich and Southend as well as Luton. Initial workshops to recruit
community groups and community artists have taken place.
For more information contact Pat Till, The UK Centre for Carnival Arts
pat@carnivalarts.org.uk 01582 437100/07940163776 www.carnivalarts.org.uk
3 Screen Team
The Cambridge Film Trust is rolling out the Screen Team project that was piloted in
Cambridge in 2010 across the region in 2011 and 2012. They are currently seeking
expressions of interest form partners that might want to work with them on outdoor
film events with supporting marketing and events training for the unemployed. This
project is also funded by the Legacy Trust UK.
For more information contact Becky Innes at rebbeccacinnes@yahoo.co.uk or on
07961 374905
4 Team East for Skills
Team East for Skills is another Legacy Trust UK funded project, also co-financed by
European ESF funding. The programme works with unemployed people using
culture and sport to help them towards employment. Details of the project and case
studies can be found at www.teameast.org
If you would like to partner Team East for Skills contact Jan Cunningham on 01799
669094 or jan.cunningham@cover-east.org
To mark two years into the Cultural Olympiad a document has been produced that
puts together a selection of case studies from across the UK with an introduction by
Dr Beatriz Garcia, a specialist in large scale Cultural and Sporting events. You can
read or download the full document here The Cultural Olympiad – UK-wide picture
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5 somewhereto
somewhereto is a nationwide project which aims to help 16-25s find spaces to do the
things they really love, by connecting them with people who have access to free
space in areas all across the UK. The project began in 2009 with a 12-month pilot in
Birmingham, Crewe and London. Anybody 16 to 25 can set up a campaign for a
space. The project does not have funds to give away but the somewhereto team can
supply individuals or groups with contacts and links to people, support on the
technical side like health and safety, and find the best way to ask for what you need.
In the New Year Livity, which runs the project will be recruiting individuals or
organizations to deliver the programme in the East of England. To find out more
information please visit the website http://somewhereto.com/ or www.livity.co.uk or
contact Kate Harwood the project manager on 020 7326 5979 or
kate.harwood@livity.co.uk
6 Live Art Collective East
Live Art Collective East are developing a series of events across the region in the
build up to the Olympic and Paralympic Games. You can see more detail on the
following projects at www.liveartcollectiveeast.com
Jenny Hunt & Holly Darton will set up a pop-up café
Chris Dobrowolski & Leslie Hill propose to explore the imagery and ideas of
vanishing points
Helen Paris & Caroline Wright, will involve local participants at Holkham Beach in
Out of Water
Richard Dedomenici will create a cryptic triptych of performance, film and
research in Reminiscences from a Backwards Future
In Brightlingsea Abi Cunliffe, draws upon the idea of the athlete‟s need to rest
and recuperate in Standstill
Holly Darton, Dot Howard & Vicki Weitz - Three Step Endeavour (3SE) is a self-
contained, mobile, and temporary hopscotch extravaganza.
Caroline Wright & Richard Dedomenici – will develop Hop, Step, Jump a mass
participation hopscotch event
Organisations or partners that would like to get involved with the delivery of any of
these projects should contact Cheryl Pierce at Artsadmin on 020 7247 5102
cheryl@artsadmin.co.uk
7 Artists taking the Lead – On Landguard Point
The Pacitti Company will soon be announcing a programme of activity running from
May to September in 2011. The project now has a website with more content to be
added soon. For further information email info@onlandguardpoint.com and sign up
for e-alerts at http://www.onlandguardpoint.com/
There will be much more information about events in the spring and summer
announced shortly, to be the first to hear about this sign up for their e-alert.
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8 Open Weekend
From February organisations will be able to register their events for the 2011 Open
Weekend which will mark one year to go until the London 2012 Olympic and
Paralympic Games open in the UK.
For more information visit http://www.london2012.com/get-involved/open-
weekend/index.php or sign up for alerts on the facebook page, that can also be
accessed using the above web link.
9 Film Nation: Shorts regional and national winners announced
The short film „Hath not a Child Ability‟, made by University of Nottingham
student Megan Salter and Sara Harrak, (20) who met at the Davenant
Foundation School in Loughton, Essex, won the Film Nation: Shorts Film of the
Month award in October 2010. Also young film makers from Colchester Liam
Cooke, Rhys Quilter, Ryan Bygrave, Connor Fletcher, Jack Copping, Maggie
Hargraves, Mark Holmes and Natalia Sanchez-Jinks picked up the award for
'Best Documentary or Experimental, 14-16 year olds' for their film 'Phoenix', a
documentary about how remarkable young people from Colchester Phoenix
Amateur Swimming Club have learnt to overcome their disabilities in the water
and regularly compete around the world in regional and national swimming
competitions.
The competition will run each year until 2012 - Submissions for the 2011
competition are now open. Visit www.filmnation.org.uk for more information
10 Tate Movie Project
The Tate Movie is an animated film made by and for children across the UK. The
project is led by Tate in collaboration with Aardman Animations, BBC and Fallon, the
creative agency that originated the concept. Over 50 Galleries and Museum
workshops are now following the Movie Truck tour which began in October and runs
until March 2011. Last autumn the Truck Tour visited Castle Park, Colchester,
Chilton Primary School, Stowmarket, Wells-Next-The-Sea Primary School, the Corn
Exchange, Kings Lynn and Kettle‟s Yard in Cambridge. In January 2011 it will visit
Firstsite in Colchester (17-18) and Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery (19-20).
The website is now live http://tatemovie.co.uk/. Children can upload there ideas as
well as voting on those already on the site.
11 Youth Music Voices
Youth Music Voices is a major new project providing 14-19 year olds with the
opportunity to join in and celebrate the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic
Games through singing. Across the region and the rest of the UK, young people
have already auditioned to join Youth Music‟s national singing team. One hundred
and fifty young people from the broadest cultural mix across the UK will be working
together as the Youth Music Voices Ensemble. 2010 saw a regional launch event in
Norwich and a regional selection event at the Junction in Cambridge in November.
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On Sunday 30 January there will be an event in London. Booking is now open. To
find out more details please visit http://www.youthmusic.org.uk/musicispower/What-
We-Do/Encourage-Talent-Potential/Youth-Music-Voices/Launch-Events/1630.html
12 Culture Inspire Mark Projects
There have recently been 5 new Inspire Mark Projects in the East of England. We
have now had 29 Inspire Marks awarded to Cultural Olympiad projects in the East of
England. The recently granted Inspire Mark projects include
Inspired to Jam
Cycle and Seek
Sing Up Canvey island
Chance to Dance
Dreams and Memories
If you have a project that you think would be eligible for an Inspire Mark first check
details on the London 2012 website at http://www.london2012.com/get-
involved/cultural-olympiad/becoming-part-of-the-cultural-olympiad/index.php and
then contact Liz Hughes on 07595 091333 or email liz.hughes@artscouncil.org.uk
As well as cultural projects, Inspire marks are now also awarded for sport, education,
sustainability, volunteering and business projects. For these Inspire Marks contact
Joseph Ballard on 07917 011933 or email josephballard@eeda.org.uk
Inspired to Jam
The Young Lives Jam Van (www.jamvan.org.uk) is a multimedia vehicle that has
partnered with the YMCA Cambridge to deliver “Inspired to Jam.” This project is one
in which young people, residents of the YMCA Cambridge, will learn new skills in
song writing, music production including recording and editing, as well as video
structuring, filming and editing. All these new skills will be utilised to create a 4-5
track CD, accompanied by music videos. The songs will be original material inspired
by the Olympic Games. To help with this the project is arranging face to face
meetings with athletes who hope to be competing at 2012 as well as using young
peoples own personal emotions and thoughts. The event will culminate with a live
performance on the 7th April, 2011 at the YMCA in Cambridge.
Cycle and Seek
Cycle and Seek was a unique treasure trail on bike for families in October 2010.
Families were invited to cycle together and collect natural objects along the way and
help create a cycling sculpture. Families also saw performances, live art and visual
art along the trail to enhance their experience of cycling together. Footprints Theatre
Company hope to do a series of three more events in 2011 in the Colchester Area
and one in 2012 in April, finishing with a final larger event in June 2012 celebrating
cycling and the Olympics.
Sing Up Canvey Island
Inspired by local Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls and the Olympic and Paralympic
values, primary and secondary pupils on Canvey Island will create new opera and
folk song compositions. Working with highly skilled practitioners from Essex Music
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Services and the Royal Opera House, the project will focus on developing pupils
singing skills. The young singing leaders will also support the establishment of a
community choir in the area. This will culminate in a showcase event on
18 February 2011.The schools are in the district which will host the Mountain biking
event at Hadleigh in 2012 and the project hopes to have a legacy in maximising
opportunities and involvement in the Games in the run up to 2012.
Chance to Dance
Chance to Dance is a festival aimed at increasing adult participation (16 years plus)
in dance, plus a celebration of the cultural diversity of dance opportunities available
in Cambridge. The day will include demonstrations of various dance styles plus
dance workshops. The festival will be on Sunday 13th March 2011 and is free for
participants and will showcase dance opportunities, classes and dance courses that
exist within Cambridge City. The festival will give the audience the opportunity to
participate in a variety of 30-minute dance workshops throughout the day.
Dreams and Memories
„Dreams and Memories‟ is a Rochford District-wide arts and sport project (part of the
MLA‟s People‟s Record) which will engage a range of residents, community groups
and schools in London 2012 by recording their Olympic memories and hopes for
2012 in a variety of formats including oral history interviews, moving image „vox
pops‟, artworks and photographs. The project will capture a range of voices
responding to a set of questions around „what difference will 2012 make to you, your
community and the Rochford District?‟ The project will also have a focus on the
impact of the 2012 Mountain Biking event which takes place in nearby Hadleigh
Country Park. Opinions will be digitally recorded on audio and video format and
uploaded to You Tube and the MLA‟s archive. The project will take place in a range
of locations across Essex with a Community Engagement Event – early in 2011
13 YouthNet’s Inspiration and Legacy from the 2012 Games project
Volunteering England and YouthNet‟s Inspiration and Legacy from the 2012 Games
project aims to support organisations to harness enthusiasm for the Games through
the development of local Games inspired volunteering opportunities, which can help
increase the number and diversity of your volunteers.
You can create new Games inspired volunteering opportunities or tailor your
existing activities to fit with our definition of a Games inspired opportunity. Then
contact your local Volunteer Centre who will help you advertise these
opportunities on Do-it – the national volunteering database.
Reach inspired volunteers: They are working with the Government Olympic
Executive and LOCOG to ensure that people who have been inspired by the
2012 Games to volunteer can find your local Games inspired volunteering
opportunities.
Diversify by recruiting volunteers from outside your membership: You can
reach new volunteers by uploading your Games inspired opportunities onto
Do-it, the national volunteering database. Out of the 600,000 registered users
on Do-it, 70% are under the age of 35 and 26% are from a Black, Asian or
Minority Ethnic background.
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Further information can be found online at
http://www.volunteering.org.uk/WhatWeDo/Projects+and+initiatives/Games+inspired/
Create.htm
There will be a workshop in Dacorum on 22 February 2012. Information on this can
be found at
http://www.volunteering.org.uk/WhatWeDo/Projects+and+initiatives/Games+inspired/
Games+Inspired+Workshops.htm
You can also sign up to the e-newsletter by emailing
gamesinspired@volunteeringengland.org
14 News In Brief
Abstract Submission deadline (Monday 31st January 2011): From
Motivation to movement: Towards an empirical understanding of the role of
dance in Health - University of Bedfordshire on June 24th and 25th 2011.
Abstracts should be submitted to dancescience@beds.ac.uk Contact Elsa
Bradley Lecturer in Dance, University of Bedfordshire for more details
Email: elsa.bradley@beds.ac.uk
Stories of the World – As part of this programme eighty five young people
are battling it out for the opportunity to go to China and help Colchester and
Ipswich Museum Service chose objects for an exhibition in 2012 in a project
called “Changing Lives”. The young people are all year nine students at
Colchester‟s Gilberd School. Working with staff from both museums, they will
be involved in the object selection process. They will photograph and film their
experiences, working with Signals Media Arts, and will continue to work with
the museum in the lead up to the exhibition opening in 2012. East of
England: East Meets East - The East of England is developing new links
with the East of the globe by exchanging people, collections and art with
China, India and Pakistan. Highlights include exchange visits by young
people, artists‟ residencies, and two major loan exhibitions from China, as well
as turning a Pakistani taxi van into a mobile museum. The project is led by
four museums, and works with over 80 young curators
Norfolk Open Weekend Grant Fund - This year‟s Open Weekend takes
place from Friday 22nd July – Sunday 24th July and we want to encourage
communities in Norfolk to host their own small sporting and cultural events to
celebrate less than a year to go until the Games. Grants of up to £500 will be
available to help community groups, organisations and town and parish
councils to stage and promote their events. There will be two application
rounds – the dates are as follows: Round 1 – Closing date Friday 25th
February Round 2 – Closing date Friday 29th April. Further information can
be found on the Norfolk 2012 website www.norfolk2012.co.uk Cultural
Olympiad – Open Weekend page. Application forms and criteria will be
available from Tuesday 4th January 2011.
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People’s record Website - The People‟s Record website which collects
individuals stories and responses to the impact of the Olympic and Paralympic
Games is now live and can be found at www.peoplesrecord.org.uk
Young Roots – Funding of up to £25,000 is available for heritage based
projects for young people under the Heritage Lottery Funds Young Roots
programme. In the past seven years in the East of England we have given
£2.54m to 115 Young Roots projects, involving over 5,000 young people. Our
Your Heritage programme will provide grants of up to £50,000 for projects that
involve children and young people learning about their heritage. On Friday 4 th
March 2011, there will be a funding workshop at The Gleed Boys School in
Spalding to explain what they are looking for in a good project for young
people. For more information contact Nigel Blanchford 01223 224 884 or
07960 644 594 nigelb@hlf.org.uk
Government Statement on Legacy – On the 20th December the coalition
government published a statement on their Legacy plans for the 2012
Olympic and Paralympic Games. ‘The Games also offer a once in a lifetime
opportunity to showcase the best of the UK‟s culture, creativity, industry and
innovation‟. Please click on the link to access the full document
http://www.culture.gov.uk/news/news_stories/7673.aspx
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15 Calendar of key dates in 2011
January 2011
Jan 2012 Dance project research commence for 12 weeks
February 2011
Tbc Open Weekend registration opens
18 Sing Up Canvey Island
March
13 Chance to Dance Festival Day
tbc 2012 Dance project small celebratory event in each county
15 500 days to go to the Olympic Games
Spring Term Just Imagine (IM), Norfolk, post production publicity campaign
April
15 White Water Canoe Centre (Olympic venue) opens to the public
17 Inspired to Jam showcase event
17th April 500 days to go to the Paralympics
18 Unlimited application (round 3) deadline
May
May – Sept Artists Taking the Lead, Pacitti Commission, On Landguard Point,
events across the region
tbc 2012 Dance project – large scale event in each county
June
21 June One Year to opening of London 2012 Festival, further programme
information released
July
22 – 24 Jul Open weekend and festival website launched
22 – Sept Lap of Honour launch of the exhibition at Moyses Hall Museum in Bury
St Edmunds
27 1 year to go to the London 2012 Olympic Games
August
29 1 year to go to the London 2012 Paralympic games
September
tbc Findings from 2012 Dance Project published at Dance and Health
Conference
October
tbc Festival launch and full programme announced
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Calendar of key dates in 2012
Jan 2012
1 Jan - June Festival Trailblazer events start
May 2012
4 – 20 May Norfolk and Norwich Festival (Legacy Trust Funded
commission)
Aldeburgh World Orchestra Exchanging Worlds project local
activity (Legacy Trust Funded)
18 May Torch relay starts
tbc ATTL – film premier of On Landguard Point
June 2012
4/5 June- tbc Carnival Crossroads at Luton Carnival (Legacy Trust Funded)
21 June London 2012 Festival starts
22 – 24 Open Weekend
July 2012
9 July Aldeburgh World Orchestra residency begins
21 July Aldeburgh World Orchestra concert at Snape, Suffolk
21 July Big Event, Walk the Plank, Chelmsford
21 – 30 July Aldeburgh World Orchestra European tour (London dates 22
and 29?)
27 July Olympic Games Opening ceremony
29 tbc Aldeburgh World Orchestra Prom, Royal Albert Hall
29 -1 White Water Canoe events – Broxbourne, Hertfordshire
August 2012
11 – 12 August Mountain Bike Events, Hadleigh, Essex
12 August Olympics Close
13 – 28 August ‘Transition’ between Olympics and Paralympics
29 August Paralympics open
September 2012
9 September Paralympics close
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