• Bringing together culture and sport
• Encouraging audiences to take part
• Animating public spaces – through street arts, public art, circus skills, live sites
• Using culture and sport to raise issues of environmental sustainability, health and wellbeing
• Honouring and sharing the values of the Olympic and Paralympic Games
• Encouraging collaborations and innovation between communities and cultural sectors
• Enhancing the learning, skills and personal development of young people by linking with education programmes

The Creative Programmers are the regional representatives of the London 2012 Culture team and will lead on bringing the Cultural Olympiad to life in each region and nation. Caterina Loriggio is the Creative Programmer in the South East.

Acting as both catalyst and hub their role aims to galvanise support for the Cultural Olympiad across their regions, creating a pathway for 2012. Their role is to:

• Drive
• Nurture
• Influence

Caterina’s current work programme (till March 09) focusses on: 

• Encouraging participation in Handover and Launch events
• Laying the foundation for key events
• Communicating the education offer
• Aligning with and helping the development of Accentuate
• Communicating the Cultural Olympiad (and Inspire mark) message across the region.
• Nurturing Inspire mark projects
• Liasing with Local Authorities and cultural agencies
• Encouraging regional  events; for example Education and Open Space.
• Supporting SEEDA's initiatives such as Corporate Cabinet and Festival Clusters.

The Creative Programmers also have a role in recommending what is in the official Cultural Olympiad programme. This programme is managed through the allocation of the Inspire mark.

More detail on Caterina's work programme can be found here

Caterina is line managed by Culture South East. She has a steering group to help guide her work: representatives of: Arts Council England South East, Screen South, English Heritage South East, SEEDA and MLA South East sit on this group. Caterina also works closely with the South East Partnership’s (SEP) Culture and Communities Group and liaises with representatives of the other SEP working groups in particular skills, sport and visitor economy.

The London 2012 Cultural Olympiad aims to:

• Change the way culture is valued in this country.
• Engender increased participation in cultural activity.
• Propagate a new younger audience for the games; engaging and then developing their interest through cultural activity. London won the bid in Singapore on the promise that it could re-engage young people with the Olympics.
• Celebrate the UK’s rich and diverse cultural life.

The London 2012 Cultural Olympiad will provide an opportunity to:

• Engender exemplary cultural activity.
• Encourage community involvement.
• Build new audiences.
• Try something new.
• Think BIG.
• Capacity build and support the professional development of cultural providers.
• Enhance and promote local political cultural policy (around cultural regeneration, sense of place, community cohesion, arts, sport and tourism).
• Think differently about the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.
• Showcase Britain’s creativity to the rest of the world.
• Showcase the South East’s talent to the rest of the UK.

The impact that we would like to see would be:

• At least 150,000 people enjoying Olympic Handover events across 70 cities and towns

• At least 20 cities/towns/organisations taking part in Paralympic Handover Day

• Stoke Mandeville’s contribution to the Paralympics is acknowledged during Handover

• At least 450 schools taking part in Paralympic Handover Day.

• At least 40 towns/organisations/institutions taking part in Open Weekend

• 250 organisations attending the Open Space event

• At least 3 applications for the Inspire mark.

Long term:

• A more knowledgeable market place – measured on innovative projects and work and local distinctiveness, a change in people’s usual programme of activity to more inspiring projects.

• Culture valued more highly at a local political level. A re-profiling of Local Authority spend to better acknowledge the value and wider benefits of cultural activity.

• More people taking part in cultural activity.
  

• Enhanced visitor economy.

• A range of excellent and inspiring projects across the region – at least 50 Inspire marks awarded in the four years of the Olympiad.
  

• A stronger cultural sector with expert leadership and an articulated vision.

• Stronger profile for Outdoor Performance and Deaf and Disabled artists.
  

• South East young people, artists and producers taking part in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies in 2012.

• South East artists and cultural organisations having a higher profile nationally and internationally.

• South East recognised as an exciting and innovative region.

• The region’s cultural providers working more collegiately with sustainable long-term partnerships which encourage peer mentoring and better use of resources.

• At least 50% of the region’s schools and FE colleges taking part in the Education Programme, as well as 25% of its Universities. Linking in with Create, Compete, Collaborate, encouraging a more globally aware generation.

• Enthusiasm for the London 2012 Games.