Cultural Olympiad 2008

The Cultural Olympiad celebrates the contemporary imagination through a series of three festivals of arts, culture and creativity, beginning in 2008 and leading up to Games time. Complementing these events will be a new media program that will play out in multiple spaces, places and formats.

Cultural Olympiad 2008 launched this multi-year celebration with a dynamic, diverse program of more than 300 performances and exhibitions, created by a bold spectrum of local, national and international artists. In keeping with VANOC’s objective of ensuring the community is central to the Olympic and Paralympic cultural experience, the 2008 program was developed through co-presentation partnerships with 62 different arts and cultural organizations.

The result was a tremendous seven-week showcase of music, dance, visual art, theatre and multimedia that reflected the diversity and vitality of contemporary Canada — stories and images captured through the imaginations and remarkable talents of our creative community.

An extraordinary spirit of cooperation and collaboration fuelled Cultural Olympiad 2008. Thanks to the many individuals who shared their ideas and dared to dream — their contributions resonated throughout the Cultural Olympiad 2008 program.

Looking ahead, VANOC’s commitment remains to create festivals that enable the entire community — audiences and artists — to share the thrill of the Olympic and Paralympic experience. Cultural Olympiad 2009 (February 1–March 21), will see the festival expand in scope and size, with enhanced national and international participation. And, in 2010, the Cultural Olympiad program will culminate with the Olympic Arts Festival (February 1–28) and the Paralympic Arts Festival (March 12–21), a global feast of arts and culture that promises to feed the soul, inspire the imagination and enrich the spirit.

Make sure you check this page regularly for updates. During the coming months, we’ll be releasing additional information about our cultural programs and announcing programming for Cultural Olympiad 2009 and 2010. You can also sign up to receive the Cultural Olympiad e-newsletter.