Procession in Mare Street. Photo by Sean Pollock
Cultural Olympiad
The Cultural Olympiad is part of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and it’s happening now. It brings together sport and the arts as part of the Olympic spirit. There is a series of events happening between now and 2012 celebrating Hackney’s diverse communities and helping to develop the borough’s creative people. You can get involved in a lot of the things happening to do with the Games – get in touch with Hackney’s 2012 Cultural Officer to find out how.
Hackney’s role
Hackney is the lead on culture among the five London boroughs hosting the Games. We want to use the Games:
- To support community organisations in presenting cultural activities
- To help develop Hackney’s creative and cultural industries
- To ensure that Hackney’s diverse communities all have the opportunity to showcase their culture and contribute to the Cultural Olympiad
- To maximise the coverage of Hackney’s cultural events
What’s going on
CREATE
CREATE is a multi-disciplinary London summer arts festival, presenting London’s vibrant richness: music, dance, crafts, theatre, carnivals, parades, exhibitions and more. There’s a lot going on in Hackney as part of CREATE – find out more at createlondon.org
Hackney One Carnival
Carnival aims to involve all of Hackney’s diverse community groups to promote, share and celebrate their culture with their fellow residents. Hackney One Carnival begins at Hackney Town Hall on 27 September 2009. There will be a procession of floats and participants from across Hackney’s multi-cultural communities.
Hackney has long been home to a host of carnival organisations. The council’s 2012 Unit is focusing on encouraging communities not traditionally involved in Carnival to become part of the fun. The aim is for them to showcase their heritage, which makes Hackney the vibrant place that it is. To find out more, contact the Cultural Officer at the 2012 Unit in Hackney Council (details below).
Hackney Fringe
The Hackney Fringe festival aims to promote local arts and cultural activities, building, strengthening the profile and number of attendees every year. So, come 2012 when the world focuses on the Olympic and Paralympic games we can show them how truly culturally diverse and creative a borough we really are. The amount of media opportunities for local events will be phenomenal during the period of the games. These Games offer us a unique opportunity to showcase the great cultural activities and events that we’re proud of.
Developing Hackney's cultural organisations
Hackney is using the Cultural Olympiad as an inspiration to help develop local arts and community organisations. We are helping to strengthen individuals and communities in Hackney’s creative groups – there are plenty of opportunities for training in running a successful organisation. Get in touch with the 2012 Unit to find out more.
Get involved
If you’re a community organisation, involved in the arts in Hackney or just want to find out more about what’s going on, get in touch with the Cultural Officer at Hackney Council’s 2012 unit.
2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games Unit
London Borough of Hackney
3rd Floor
2 Hillman Street
Hackney E8 1FB
Email: olympics@hackney.gov.uk
Tel: 020 8356 3126
Page updated: 17 Sep 2009