London 2012
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World Shakespeare Festival - Cymbeline © Ellie Kurttz
Culture at the heart of the games
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Young girls take part in sports activities that contributed to a Municipal Seal award for Belo Jardim, Brazil © International I
Inspiring a generation
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Lord Coe, Chair of LOCOG and International Inspiration Ambassador David Beckham in Athens for the handover of the Olympic Torch
A Global Programme
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International Inspiration Paralympic torchbearers with Oscar Pistorius © London 2012
International Inspiration
London 2012
The Games offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to showcase the UK’s cultural strengths, to enhance positive perceptions of the UK and develop new and lasting international collaborations and connections.
Featured projects
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Boomba Down the Tyne © Darren Eddon, Available Light StudiosUnlimited
Unlimited was a groundbreaking three-year initiative that commissioned 29 new pieces of work by deaf and disabled artists from the UK.
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English Handbook for London 2012 by the British Council - Wheelchair RugbyEnglish for the Games
The British Council’s English for the Games project, which was granted the ‘Inspire’ mark by LOCOG, aimed to satisfy the huge interest in the Games amongst teachers and learners of English worldwide and to enable visitors to the UK during the Games to communicate more easily.
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School pupils inspired by Luol Deng's World Olympic DreamSchool Linking
British Council's School Linking programmes with the BBC and LOCOG.
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World Shakespeare Festival - Cymbeline © Ellie KurttzWorld Shakespeare Festival - Performances
The World Shakespeare Festival was a celebration of Shakespeare as the world's playwright produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company.
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BT River of Music - In Transit © Neil WaltonBT River of Music
We supported five collaborations linking British musicians with over 100 artists worldwide as part of BT River of Music. This weekend of free music from performers representing the 204 Olympic and Paralympic nations was presented at iconic sites along the Thames. BT River of Music attracted an audience of 125,000 over the course of the weekend with an estimated broadcast audience of 8,000,000 and an additional 70,000 visiting the BT River of Music website.
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Big Dance Athens © British CouncilBig Dance
Big Dance celebrated the diversity of dance styles across the country and the world, featuring an array of events, including The Big Street Dance Day, which saw people dancing in public spaces all over the UK. Big Dance is the world’s largest dance programme. Founded in 2006 by the Mayor of London in partnership with Arts Council England, Big Dance is London’s Legacy Trust UK programme.
