Region to benefit from cultural Olympiad

8:40pm Friday 5th September 2008

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A CULTURAL explosion is set to hit the region later this month as a series of events take place to celebrate the start of London 2012's £40m Olympiad.

Scores of events will take place across the North-East and North Yorkshire between September 26 and September 28 to launch the Cultural Olympiad of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The theme of the launch weekend is Open Weekend, with cultural organisations across the country kicking off the celebrations by offering the public the opportunity to take part in events not normally open to them or one-off happenings.

The Cultural Olympiad aims to celebrate Olympic values in the cultural rather than sporting sphere and was inspired by the modern Olympics' founder, Pierre de Coubertin. His ideal was a marriage between sport and the arts.

Nationally, more than £40 million has been earmarked for cultural activities which are designed to prepare the country for the games and their values.

Plans for the Cultural Olympiad include four years of cultural celebration; a series major national projects; and Inspire marks awarded to projects, including five in the North-East.

Organisers say the Inspire programme aims to help involve everyone in the games and will award outstanding London 2012-inspired cultural projects which will help to create a lasting legacy for the games.

The first projects to be awarded the Inspire mark in the North-East are: * Creative Spirits, by Tyne and Wear Museums; * Dance City Afro Reggae, by Dance City; * Seconds Out, by Theatre Royal Newcastle and Darlington Borough Council; * Border Crossing by ISIS Arts; * Juice - NewcastleGateshead's Children and Young People's Festival, by Culture 10.

Ten new major, national cultural projects, aimed to benefit the culture of the UK longterm, will be launched and develop over the next four years.

Sebastian Coe, chairman of London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, said: "In our bid to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012, our promise was and still is to make our games accessible to everyone.

"To build on the vision of Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic movement, by having a games that inextricably links sport, culture and education. Open Weekend and the cultural programme over the coming four years, shows our commitment to this."

Mark Robinson, executive director, Arts Council England North East, said: "The Cultural Olympiad is a fantastic opportunity to raise the profile of the excellent art developed in the North East.

"It's a great chance for people to get involved in the excellent events that are taking place in the region now and all the way to 2012."

The events will include: DARLINGTON: Seconds Out, Market Square, Saturday, September 27, 1pm to 5pm. A boxing ring will be set up in the Market Square and demonstrations from boxing clubs in Teesside will be given. Vamos Salsa Dance troupes will give dancing exhibitions and local schools will perform skipping demonstrations. Admission is free.

GATESHEAD: Capture 2008 Celebration, Baltic, Gateshead Quays. 26 September, 6.45pm to 10pm. The event showcases the work of seven new film makers on North East communities. The event is open to participating film makers.

Great North Run Cultural Programme, Baltic, Friday, September 26, to Sunday, September 28, 10am to 6pm. A film and a photographic exhibition charting the Great North Run participants from elite athletes to charity fundraisers. Admission is free.

Busy Bs, Baltic, Saturday, September27, to Sunday, September 28, 2pm to 4pm. Free art session for families. Aimed at children under 13, accompanied by an adult.

Design for Life, Shipley Art Gallery, Prince Consort Road, Saturday, September 27, noon to 3pm. Artist Alizon Bennet, local musicians and visitors will get the opportunity to create sound and light sculptures in the gallery and surrounding grounds. Admission is free.

Vocal Athletics, The Sage, St Mary's Square, Gateshead Quays, Saturday, September 27, 1.30pm to 3.30pm. Primary school choirs and a dance group will perform vocal athletics.

Gateshead Family Sculpture Day, The Grove, Saltwell Park, Sunday, September 28, 11am to 4pm. Artists will be on hand to help families capture their ideas in wood. Wood, tools and nails are provided. Participants should bring their own hammers.

HAWES, NORTH YORKSHIRE: Myths and Legends, Dales Countryside Museum, Station Yard. Friday, September 26 to Sunday, September 28, 10am to noon. A family event, featuring story-telling of author Rhoda Fraser's tales and the opportunity to write stories using items from the museum as inspiration. Admission is free, booking required.

MIDDLESBROUGH: Centre Square, Middlesbrough, Friday, September 26 to Sunday, September 28. A series of launch, animation and community films will be screened. Admission is free.

NEWCASTLE: A Celebration of Sport, Discovery Museum, Blandford Square, Saturday, September 26 to Friday, October 24, Monday - Friday 9am to 5pm. An exhibition celebrating amateur sport in Tyne and Wear, including local clubs, school sports and sports teams related to industries. Admission is free.

Wang Qinsong, Northern Stage, Barras Bridge, Friday, September 26 to Sunday, September 28, 10am to 6pm. Beijing photographer Qingsong will photograph 300 local participants in Stage 1, made up as patients in a hospital ward. Admission is free.

Bob Log, The Cluny, Lime Street, Saturday, September 27, 8pm. American slide guitarist Bob Log performs low down dirty bluesy garage rock. Tickets from www.ticketweb.co.uk.

Border Crossing, Isis Arts, Northumberland Street, Saturday, September 27, 9am to 6pm. Installation commissioned as part of their At Home in Europe. Atists have been invited to consider migration and immigration and their impact on national and regional identities. Admission is free.

Gone with the Wind workshop, Laing Art Gallery, New Bridge Street, Saturday, September 27, 10.30am to 12.30pm and 1.30pm - 3.30pm.

Kite-making workshop for families. Admission is free.

Science Circus, Discovery Museum, Blandford Square, Saturday, September 27, 10.30pm to 12.30pm and 2pm to 4pm. Visitors will have the opportunity to discover the science behind sports and circus. Admission is free.

Seconds Out, Theatre Royal, Grey Street, Saturday, September 27, 11am to 1pm. A boxing ring will be set up in the Market Square and demonstrations from boxing clubs in Teesside will be given. Vamos Salsa Dance troupes will give dancing exhibitions and local schools will perform skipping demonstrations. Admission is free.

Stories of the Gods, Seven Stories Attic, Lime Street, Saturday, September 27, 1pm to 5pm. Story-telling session with tales of the power, heroism and athleticism of the ancient gods followed by a silk painting workshop using ancient methods. For admission details call the box office on 0845-2710-777 ext. 715.

Genre: Literature & Poetry Radio Knitting, Town Moor, Sunday, September 28, 11am to 4pm. Waygood Radio Club will transmit a new morse- code Lego pictogram from the Town Moor to the worlds, estimated six million amateur radio operators to decipher into a knitting pattern or textile design. Admission is free.

The Dream Boat Project, Lit and Phil Library, Westgate Road, Sunday, September 28 2pm to 3pm. The library's collection of travel journals will be brought to life through an hour-long workshop that follows in the footsteps of the writers. Admission is free.

SCALING DAM: Northern zone event of Royal Yachting Association's 2008 Sailing Championships, Scaling Dam, North Yorkshire, Saturday, September 27. The zone championships mark the end of the junior racing season and is a selection event for those sailors wishing to be considered for winter squad training. Racing will be in optimist, topper and windsurfers. Entry online at www.ryaracingevents.org.uk closes on September 17. Go to www.rya.org.uk for details.

SOUTH SHIELDS: Telling Our Stories in Drums and Dance, Central Library, South Shields, Prince George Square, Friday, September 26 to Saturday, September 27. A series of workshops telling stories through drumming and dancing for children and families in the South Tyneside area. Admission is free.

Return of the Ancient Greeks, South Shields Museum, Ocean Road, Saturday, September 27, 10am to noon and 1pm to 3pm. Visitors can help create a giant frieze which will be on display at South Shields Museum as part of the British Museum exhibition: Ancient Greeks: Athletes, Warriors and Heroes. Admission is free.

Roman Art Day, Arbeia Roman Fort, Baring Street, Saturday, September 27, 10.30am to 3pm. A hands-on tour of the Time Quest gallery followed by a creative workshop with Graham Hodgson of Hawthorn Arts using traditional Roman tools and techniques. Artworkl will be displayed in South Shields Central Library in October. Admission is free.

SUNDERLAND: Sunderland Imp Challenge, Sunderland Museum and Winter Garden, Burdon Road, Sunday, September 28, 2.30pm to 4.30pm. Krypton Factor-style challenges to launch new book, The Sunderland Imp, which takes visitors on an in-depth journey to learn more about museums and their collections.

WALLSEND: Segedunum, Cohors Quinta Gallorum, Segedunum Roman Fort, Baths and Museum, Buddle Street, Saturday, September 27, 11am to 4pm. Action packed Roman weekend, where visitors can meet Roman soldiers from Hadrian's Wall with authentic weapons and equipment. Admission is free.

YORK: Grand Tour in York, various locations, 26 September-28 September Until January, the National Gallery and York Art Gallery have set free some of the world's most famous paintings in the streets of York. Tour the streets to see masterpieces by great artists - from Caravaggio to Constable - in the medieval city centre. Download a complete list and a map from www.thegrandtourinyork.org.uk. Event is free.

For more information on any of the above events, log on to www.london2012.com/culture.