Culture

London’s boroughs are using the inspiration of the 2012 Games to create lasting benefits in their communities through culture.

The culture programme officially began with the handover from the 2008 Beijing Games, and since then, boroughs have been using the Olympics and Paralympics to increase opportunities for local people to get involved in world-class cultural activity and to support local creative industries.

The creative economy has greater importance in the capital than anywhere else in the UK. The Gross Value Added of London’s creative industries sector was estimated at £18 billion in 2007 and culture is identified as one of key growth sectors for London's economy.  Boroughs are seizing on these opportunities of the greatest cultural festival in the world coming to our city to maximise local benefits. It is estimated, for example, that the CREATE festival contributed £15 million to the local economy in 2009.

And boroughs are recognising the ways in which cultural events and celebrations are also a way to ensure that all of London’s communities can be part of the Games.

Read more about just some examples of best practice in culture below:

• Barking and Dagenham Gateway to the Games - Celebrate, Activate and Participate
• Bexley's Cultural Programme
• CREATE - Five host boroughs
• Greenwich Festivals
• Hackney One Carnival
• Hackney Museum Mapping the Change
• Havering Libraries and 2012: Recording the Games experience
• Islington Passing the Baton exhibition
• Lambeth Country Show Cultivate
• Passport 2 Pimlico
• Peoples Record projects: links to 1948 Games
• Romfest: Celebrating the Cultural Olympiad
• West London Story