What is the Cultural Olympiad?
The Olympics and the Paralympics are about much more than just sport.
The original vision of Pierre de Coubertin, the man responsible for reviving the Olympic ideal in the late nineteenth century, sought to realise the marriage of sport and the arts.
An arena in which everyone, whatever their talent or skill, is given the opportunity to strive for excellence.
The charter of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) stipulates that the host nation must "organise a programme of cultural events" that should:
- Promote harmonious relations, mutual understanding and friendship among the participants and others attending the Olympic Games
- Highlight the shared values of sport and the arts in terms of excellence, endeavour and achievement
- Promote the arts and culture of the host city and host nation while embracing an international cultural dimension
- Provide a dynamic and high profile context for promoting Olympism and the Olympic Games