So the new London 2012 branding was released today, as I'm sure you will all have seen. Personally I think it's awful, I cannot see whay they have chosen it. I assume it is to appeal to young people, as the focus of these Games is meant to be youth. Even as a young 27 year old I don't proclaim to have any great knowledge of what the youth of today really like, but I'm sure it's not that. The logo has the feeling of something which has been sold to a bunch of middle-aged men as what 'the kidz are down with', but I think in reality will alienate many more people than it will attract.
Maybe it's just first day thoughts, but I think probably not. The old logo was perhaps conservative, but it sold London 2012 perfectly - the colours, the symbol of London in the ribbon of the Thames. The new branding does not say anything.
If you would like to have your opinion, please visit the forum (http://www.2012artsnetwork.org.uk/forum.html).
Glyn.
Monday, 4 June 2007
Wednesday, 2 May 2007
Voluntary Arts Network 2012 seminar - 27/04/07
On Friday I attended the Voluntary Arts Network's (VAN) 'Once In A Lifetime' seminar on the opportunities of London 2012. The day generally was very positive about what could be gained from London 2012 for the arts.
Notably there was a talk from Fran Hegyi, from the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG), who was giving a still rather sketchy breakdown of the cultural programme and where the money would be spent. The short of it is this:
There will be 3 levels of cultural activity based around the Games. The highest level will be the large events such as the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics. These will take the majority of the cultural budget.
The second level of activity will be 17 cultural festivals and events which have been announced around the Games. These are thigns such as the International Shakespeare Festival. The majority of the remaining money is likely to be taken up by these events.
The third level of activity is what is generally being called the Cultural Olympiad. This is where you could expect the majority of activity to be, particularly amongst smaller organisations and amateur and voluntary groups. There will be little Olympic funding left for this activity though. Activities may be expected to come from existing funding sources, so I think this third level could be more of an opportunity for groups to market and brand themselves better for continuing with their existing work, rather than exist as a source of funding.
One source of funding which has been created is called the Legact Trust, and is reported to be around £40 million figure, although some dispute this. You can read more about this at http://www.bridgehousegrants.org.uk/CityBridgeTrust/News/NewsArchive/News+-+Legacy+Trust+Announcement.htm. This is a relatively small amount of money however, when you consider the cuts which have been made to the Arts Council and National Lottery funding. Any way round the Olympics is not going to be a gold mine for arts organisations.
The reaction from those organisations present was encouraging, however. There was a general air of positive defiance, that the voluntary arts largely exist without funding, and would more than likely continue to create arts even if there was no arts funding, and could create a programme for the Cultural Olympiad without large funding. Cynically you could say that this is what LOCOG were hoping for or evene expecting, which could reflect the small amount dedicated to this third level of programming.
As you may have seen in the papers, adverts ahve been posted for Cultural Programmers for the English regions, who will be respoinsible for programming the Cultural Olympiad for their regions. This is on top of Keith Khanh being appointed as Head of Culture. Fran Hegyi was asked how smaller organisations and artists should go about contacting these programmers in a bid to receive funding or a commission for a project. Fran suggested that bids could perhaps come through an umbrella body (perhaps such as the VAN), so as not to swamp these programmer swith hundreds of bids. This process is something which the arts sector as a whole has to investigate, possibly to decide who are the best umbrella bodies for this to work under.
There were also issues raised around branding, and whether events would be allowed to call themselves Olympic events. LOCOG have promised more information about this soon, with possibly the chance of a kind of Olympic sub-mark for events to get Olympic recognition to use as part of their marketing. As soon as more is known I will pass it on.
One further issue which came up was a concern that the Government's plans are very much based around youth inclusion, whilst the make-up of the voluntary arts sector is largely from the older generation. This is a conern which needs to be kept an eye on, to ensure that people from all generations can benefit from the Cultural Olympiad, remembering that this is a once in a lifetime opporuntity for all of us, at all ages.
Overall though I think that this was the most positive 2012 event that I have been too. There was a real sense of positive action in the air rather than the abject cycnicism and sneering which has tinted other events I have been to before. I am more confident after going to this seminar in the voluntary sector's ability and desire to make this the best Cultural Olympiad possible, whatever the level of funding or support they may obtain.
Glyn.
Notably there was a talk from Fran Hegyi, from the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG), who was giving a still rather sketchy breakdown of the cultural programme and where the money would be spent. The short of it is this:
There will be 3 levels of cultural activity based around the Games. The highest level will be the large events such as the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics. These will take the majority of the cultural budget.
The second level of activity will be 17 cultural festivals and events which have been announced around the Games. These are thigns such as the International Shakespeare Festival. The majority of the remaining money is likely to be taken up by these events.
The third level of activity is what is generally being called the Cultural Olympiad. This is where you could expect the majority of activity to be, particularly amongst smaller organisations and amateur and voluntary groups. There will be little Olympic funding left for this activity though. Activities may be expected to come from existing funding sources, so I think this third level could be more of an opportunity for groups to market and brand themselves better for continuing with their existing work, rather than exist as a source of funding.
One source of funding which has been created is called the Legact Trust, and is reported to be around £40 million figure, although some dispute this. You can read more about this at http://www.bridgehousegrants.org.uk/CityBridgeTrust/News/NewsArchive/News+-+Legacy+Trust+Announcement.htm. This is a relatively small amount of money however, when you consider the cuts which have been made to the Arts Council and National Lottery funding. Any way round the Olympics is not going to be a gold mine for arts organisations.
The reaction from those organisations present was encouraging, however. There was a general air of positive defiance, that the voluntary arts largely exist without funding, and would more than likely continue to create arts even if there was no arts funding, and could create a programme for the Cultural Olympiad without large funding. Cynically you could say that this is what LOCOG were hoping for or evene expecting, which could reflect the small amount dedicated to this third level of programming.
As you may have seen in the papers, adverts ahve been posted for Cultural Programmers for the English regions, who will be respoinsible for programming the Cultural Olympiad for their regions. This is on top of Keith Khanh being appointed as Head of Culture. Fran Hegyi was asked how smaller organisations and artists should go about contacting these programmers in a bid to receive funding or a commission for a project. Fran suggested that bids could perhaps come through an umbrella body (perhaps such as the VAN), so as not to swamp these programmer swith hundreds of bids. This process is something which the arts sector as a whole has to investigate, possibly to decide who are the best umbrella bodies for this to work under.
There were also issues raised around branding, and whether events would be allowed to call themselves Olympic events. LOCOG have promised more information about this soon, with possibly the chance of a kind of Olympic sub-mark for events to get Olympic recognition to use as part of their marketing. As soon as more is known I will pass it on.
One further issue which came up was a concern that the Government's plans are very much based around youth inclusion, whilst the make-up of the voluntary arts sector is largely from the older generation. This is a conern which needs to be kept an eye on, to ensure that people from all generations can benefit from the Cultural Olympiad, remembering that this is a once in a lifetime opporuntity for all of us, at all ages.
Overall though I think that this was the most positive 2012 event that I have been too. There was a real sense of positive action in the air rather than the abject cycnicism and sneering which has tinted other events I have been to before. I am more confident after going to this seminar in the voluntary sector's ability and desire to make this the best Cultural Olympiad possible, whatever the level of funding or support they may obtain.
Glyn.
Saturday, 21 April 2007
website relaunched
Finally, after weeks of late nights and weekends spent inside I have finally finished the relaunch of the website. If you haven't seen it already please take a look at www.2012artsnetwork.org.uk.
The website is intended to belong to everyone interested in the arts and 2012. If you have any suggestions on what should be included on the site, please contact me via the site.
The website is intended to belong to everyone interested in the arts and 2012. If you have any suggestions on what should be included on the site, please contact me via the site.
Sunday, 15 April 2007
welcome
Hello, welcome to my first post on my blog on arts and the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. For anyone who doesn't know, I run a website called the 2012 Arts Network (http://www.2012artsnetwork.org.uk).
I will be updating this blog with any thoughts I have or comments on anything I have been to relating to London 2012.
If you would like to start your own blog on this topic, please email me at glyn@2012artsnetwork.org.uk and I will add your blog onto the website.
Thanks,
Glyn Ley,
Editor,
2012 Arts Network.
I will be updating this blog with any thoughts I have or comments on anything I have been to relating to London 2012.
If you would like to start your own blog on this topic, please email me at glyn@2012artsnetwork.org.uk and I will add your blog onto the website.
Thanks,
Glyn Ley,
Editor,
2012 Arts Network.
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