02/08/2012
With the sports events of the Olympic Games now well underway, it might be easy to forget that there are a whole host of other events taking place around the UK to celebrate the arrival of the prestigious event in the UK capital.
The London 2012 Cultural Olympiad, which has featured a series of programmes and projects since 2008, is the largest cultural celebration in the history of the modern Olympic and Paralympic Movements.
Now at the peak of its four-year run, recent cultural events in the festival include aMAZEme, at London’s Southbank Centre, where participants must navigate their way through a labyrinth of 2.5m high walls made from books.
Elsewhere, a number of shows inspired by the Olympics have also been taking place this week, such as Playing the Games, which saw emerging and established actors, comedians, musicians, playwrights as well as Olympians taking part. In Liverpool, The Sacred Truce Project: The Ripple Effect was inspired by the Olympic Truce and gave local youth groups the opportunity to work with playwright Ursula Rani Sarma and local directors.
And cultural enthusiasts will continue to be treated to a number of events around the UK during London 2012. At the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, catch internationally-acclaimed comedian Laurence Clark perform his new show. Also in the Scottish capital, the public can view the work of Turner prize-winning artist Susan Philipsz, who has set sound installations in an invisible line through the city.
The BBC Comedy Presents series is ideal for those who can’t drag themselves away from the sporting action, with comedian Patrick Kielty presenting his BBC Radio 2 show live from the Edinburgh festival.
Back in the south, Rio Occupation London will gather in one place all the works of 30 artists from Rio de Janeiro that have been on display over the previous month. This three-day festival and Brazilian party offers the public a perfect opportunity to learn about the next Olympic host city.
To find out more about events taking place in London and around the UK, visit www.london2012.com/about-us/cultural-olympiad/