Cultural Olympiad

The year 2007 has been a pivotal year for the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) and our Cultural Olympiad, Education and Celebrations teams as we moved from planning and program development to the introduction of a wide spectrum of Cultural Olympiad activities. From the March launch of Arts Partners in Creative Development (in Partnership with the Province of British Columbia, 2010 Legacies Now, the City of Vancouver, the Vancouver Foundation and the Canada Council of the Arts) and the early rounds of bold creative commissions; to the June call for creative proposals for 2008; to the September launch of /EDU, our groundbreaking online education program for teachers and students; to the November programming announcement for the Cultural Olympiad 2008 Celebration – the first of three annual festivals we will present through 2010.

Engaging the creative sector to share the Olympic and Paralympic experience nationwide is a core part of our vision. And partnerships are key to realizing this vision. Artists and creative organizations have stepped up in the hundreds in response to our call for proposals to co-produce and co-present in the Cultural Olympiad. Ministries of Culture from Provinces and Territories across Canada have resolved to work with Vancouver 2010, and each other, to maximize the opportunity for both artists and communities to participate – from coast to coast to coast. These partnerships hold enormous promise . . . Stay tuned, as there will be much more news to come.

Read on for more about the Cultural Olympiad 2008 Celebration and other programs, as well as forthcoming opportunities for 2010. Please also subscribe to our newsletter and visit our website for all the latest developments and news.

2008 is just the beginning, join us as we grow to 2010!

Sincerely,