One hundred years of cultural programming within the Olympic Games (1912–2012): origins, evolution and projections

Abstract

The Olympic Games is recognised worldwide as the largest sports mega‐event – certainly, the event attracting the largest amount of media coverage globally. As well as a sports event, the Olympics are a cultural phenomenon, with a history spanning more than 100 years and supported by a global network of organisations with an educational and intercultural remit that defines itself as a Movement and aspires to promote Olympism as a ‘philosophy of life’, headed by the International Olympic Committee. What is less known is that the Games also incorporate 100 years of Olympic cultural and arts programming and that such experience is playing a growing role defining or contributing to respective host cities’ cultural policies. This paper offers an overview of the cultural dimension of the Olympic Games and the development of Games‐specific cultural programming. After an introductory section providing a discussion and framework to the notion of cultural policy‐making within the Olympic Games, the paper presents an historical account of ‘official’ Olympic cultural programming, in the summer editions of the Games, from the initial conception by Pierre de Coubertin in 1906 up to the last implementations on occasion of the Sydney 2000, Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Games. The paper ends with a brief revision of the current challenges and prospects that the programme, now denominated by the Cultural Olympiad and spanning over four years, holds within the Olympic Movement and for future host cities such as London in the lead to 2012.

Keywords:

• Olympic Games
• cultural policy
• cultural Olympiad
• Olympic cultural programme

Acknowledgements

This paper is based on research funded by the Olympic Museum, Lausanne (2001) and the British Academy (2004–2008).

Notes

1. Note that this section focuses on providing an overview of cultural programming within the summer editions of the Games. Cultural activities have also taken place in the context of the Winter Games, though on a much smaller scale. The first example of an actual artistic programme is recorded in Cortina d’Ampezzo in 1956 while Vancouver 2010 is the first winter host to present a four‐year ‘Cultural Olympiad’ programme. Recent editions of the winter Games are providing relevant points of reference in terms of cultural policy and cultural programming that could be adapted and enhance the visibility of activities within the Summer editions as well (see Garcia and Miah 2006, Gold and Revill 2007, pp. 78–80).

2. The ‘Olympic Truce’ is the principle of stopping all wars for the duration of the Olympic Games, a notion that was originally implemented during the Ancient Olympic Games to ensure the safe passage of all athletes (see http://www.olympictruce.org/).

3. London 2012 is testing the notion of a parallel Olympic brand, not strictly regulated by the IOC and not dependent on TOP sponsor agreements, with its ‘Inspired by 2012’ programme. This brand is mainly targeted at cultural and educational activity.