Cultural countdown
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Creating a city of culture is at the heart of the regeneration plans for Medway and the London 2012 Games provides the perfect opportunity to make the most of Medway's cultural and artistic scene. From the closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games until the start of the London 2012 Games, the UK will hold a four-year cultural celebration. |
Medway will be playing its part. For four years from 18 September 2008, Medway 2012 will promote a programme of activity to celebrate the Olympic spirit through the arts and culture.
This will begin with the staging of the first Medway Culture and Design Awards. These awards will celebrate the thriving cultural scene in Medway and the impact that quality, diverse building and landscape design achievements can have.
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Medway already has a thriving cultural calendar, particularly with the annual festivities celebrating its links with Charles Dickens and will be supplementing that with additional programmes and activities linked to the Olympic countdown. With 2012 also being the 200th anniversary of Dickens' birth, the Olympic year promises to be a true sporting and cultural celebration for Medway. |
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In addition to local celebrations and events planned in Medway, the London Organising Committee for the 2012 Games (LOCOG) is planning a national programme for the Cultural Olympiad.
Nationwide events will include:
World Festival of Youth Culture - a festival for young people to show their spirit, energy and creativity;
Artists Take the Lead - a celebration of culture in streets, rivers, parks and squares;
Film and Video Nation - competitions and festivals around the UK;
International Exhibitions Programme - stories from around the world exhibited in museums and galleries;
2012 Sounds - a programme bringing together musicians and writers from around the world to create new music;
Celebration of Disability Arts and Sport - a programme to celebrate and promote disability arts and sport.
Visit the LOCOG website (www.london2012.com/get-involved/cultural-olympiad/index.php) for more information about the national plans.
Have you got an idea for an event that could form part of Medway's cultural countdown to 2012? Email the Medway 2012 team with the details of your event or idea at 2012@medway.gov.uk or phone 01634 338255.
Find out more about Medway's events and festivals calendar for 2008.