North Launches Cultural Olympiad

An open weekend from Friday 26-Sunday 28 September will celebrate the launch of the North's participation in the four year Cultural Olympiad of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The Cultural Olympiad is a unique cultural celebration of the London 2012 Games and a number of events will take place across the North to "involve and inspire everyone".

Included in the list of events are 'City of Song' in Derry, 'A Glimpse of the Past' at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museums, 'Going for Gold' competition in Belfast Central Library and 'Light Up Carrickfergus Castle' when one of the North's most iconic monuments will be lit up with one of the four colours of London 2012.

Welcoming the open weekend launch, the Northern Culture and Arts Minister, Gregory Campbell said: "The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games will be a celebration of sport for everyone.

"Northern Ireland will benefit from the 2012 Games in many ways including sport, culture, tourism, volunteering, education, business and skills.

"The launch of the Cultural Olympiad today is the beginning of Northern Ireland's journey to bring together arts and sport in innovative and unique projects and to share understanding of cultural diversity across Northern Ireland over the next four years. "I want to congratulate everyone involved in making the open weekend possible. "The activities taking place will showcase Northern Ireland's diverse and vibrant cultural scene."

Central to the Cultural Olympiad are Inspire Mark projects.

The London 2012 Inspire Mark is awarded to outstanding cultural projects inspired by London 2012 and recognised as helping to deliver the Games' lasting legacy.

The first project to be awarded the Inspire Mark in the North is the Ulster Orchestra's 'The Pied Piper' which encourages collaboration between children from different and diverse communities, and explores different sectoral art forms.

Congratulating the Ulster Orchestra on achieving the Inspire Mark, the Minister added: "The award of Northern Ireland's first Inspire Mark to the Ulster Orchestra's 'Pied Piper' project is an excellent achievement.

"Inspired by the values of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, it will enable children from different schools to collaborate with each other and engage with a major cultural institution."

David Byers, Chief Executive of the Ulster Orchestra said: "The Ulster Orchestra is immensely proud to be the first organisation in Northern Ireland to be awarded the Cultural Olympiad's Inspire Mark for one of its projects.

"The 'Pied Piper' project, with music specially written by the Orchestra's associate composer, Brian Irvine, has been inspired by the Olympic and Paralympic values of Excellence, Friendship, Respect, Inspiration and Equality.

"It is a major project, part of the Ulster Orchestra's extensive work with young people, creating opportunities for a diverse range of children from all communities.

"Participation in 'The Pied Piper' will create a real sense of achievement in the children - a sense of attaining their personal best.

"By its nature it will be a unique event, cross community in the widest sense, open to all ethnic communities and very, very special.

"A long-term legacy for the Orchestra is the growth and development of future audiences by stimulating an interest from an early age."

The Cultural Olympiad weekend will also launch ten new major cultural projects which will have significant impact in the nations and regions throughout the four years and generate long-term benefit to the culture of the the North.