Written evidence submitted by the British
Council
The British Council believes that the 2012 Games
will stimulate grassroots participation in sport, culture and
education, and enhance cultural life across the UK and abroad.
We also see the Games a significant opportunity to project a positive
image of the UK, and to develop the UK's international cultural
relations, bringing benefits in terms of trade, trust and understanding.
Our special contribution to the London 2012 legacy
agenda is to ensure that it has a strong international component.
This will allow:
— cultural events in the UK to inspire
by being genuinely world class;
— the UK sport sector to build skills and
networks through international contact, contributing to the development
of a world-class sport system in the UK and future bids for major
events;
— artists and cultural institutions to
undertake innovative work with counterparts abroad, developing
their skills and networks, and consolidating the UK's role as
hub for the creative industries;
— educational institutions to extend their
international links, sharing best practice and giving life-changing
opportunities to their students;
— young people in the UK to develop their
curiosity about and engagement with the world, leading to improved
skills and community cohesion.
The London 2012 legacy promise included inspiring
children and young people across the world to choose and participate
in sport. This is being delivered by International Inspiration,
which aims to give 12 million young people in 20 countries the
chance to take part in sport and thus gain valuable life skills.
International Inspiration is delivered by the British Council,
the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic
Games (LOCOG) and a range of partners including UK Sport, Unicef
and the Youth Sport Trust. We aim to link over 200 schools in
the UK to over 200 schools in other countries through this project,
with teachers and young people at both ends developing projects
based on sport and PE.
The popularity and emotional power of the Games
will attract new audiences and participants to cultural and educational
activities. The British Council's role is to ensure the quality
and impact of this work by helping to develop the international
dimension. For example, we are designing and delivering an international
strand for the Unlimited Cultural Olympiad project. This
will ensure that the festivals of disability arts between now
and 2012 feature collaborative work between artists from Britain
and abroad; that links between disabled artists and disability
organisations are strengthened, and that there is increased understanding
worldwide about the UK's distinctive approach to disability rights,
equality and expression. Unlimited will use the Paralympic
Games to raise the level of achievement and participation in disability
arts.
It is important that the domestic legacy builds
on the fact that in 2012 the UK will "welcome the world",
and that after the Games the UK's young people are more aware
of and connected with the wider world. LOCOG's UK education project
Get Set already promotes school links and other international
educational collaboration through the Global Gateway web portal,
which is managed by the British Council for DCSF. We are now exploring
with LOCOG how an international educational product could help
millions of young people worldwide to develop their English language
and other skills through engagement with the London Games and
the Olympic values.
January 2010
|
