Cultural Olympiad 2009: Where the world’s best come to play

Oct 28, 2008

More than 400 performances; new touring and digital programs; one-year countdown concert highlight 2009 program

Vancouver, BC – Gravity defying dance, rousing music and a new spin on graffiti art today gave a taste of the more than 400 free and ticketed performances and exhibitions audiences will enjoy as part of the Cultural Olympiad 2009 program.

The complete program was announced by the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC). Program highlights include a one-year countdown concert on February 12, 2009, headlined by multiple Grammy and Juno award winner Sarah McLachlan, the introduction of a ground-breaking new suite of digital programs that extends the celebration of Canadian culture online, and myriad other performances and exhibitions spanning music, dance, theatre, visual arts and film. Cultural Olympiad 2009 will run from February 1 to March 21, 2009, with events to be held in more than 70 venues throughout the Games region.

“The Cultural Olympiad will engage audiences with cultural experiences that intrigue, inspire and celebrate creativity in the 21st century,” said Burke Taylor, VANOC vice president, Culture and Celebrations. “Cultural Olympiad 2009 takes this promise to the next step, expanding the scope of our programs in our build-up to 2010.”

With more than 100 projects, 97 of which are presented in partnership with 70 arts and culture organizations, Cultural Olympiad 2009 showcases the vitality and breadth of Canada’s creative community. The 2009 festival builds on the success of the 2008 program, expanding its scope, scale and diversity through greater participation by national and international artists. With 85 percent Canadian content – half from across Canada and half from BC – artists from every province and territory of Canada are featured alongside artists from five continents, bringing the world together through creativity and imagination.

The 2009 program also extends the celebration across Canada through the National Presentation and Touring Program and into the digital sphere with the introduction of CODE (the Cultural Olympiad Digital Edition).

Unique Programming
From productions that meld divergent perspectives to emerging talents re-inventing the voice of contemporary Canada, Cultural Olympiad 2009 features music, dance, theatre, visual arts, film, outdoor spectaculars and digital media experiences. Streets will buzz with digital graffiti, fire artists, high-tech face painters as well as an inaugural Lunar Festival at the Vancouver Art Gallery Plaza.

This year’s music program dives into a wide range of music styles, from Australian cult band The Necks, to a rare performance of Steve Reich’s mesmerizing Drumming by a who’s who of Vancouver percussionists, to the Vancouver premiere of the legendary Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Orchestra.

Theatre productions will include new and old world puppetry with the latest creation from Canada’s genius of puppet theatre, the masterful Ronnie Burkett, and the classical form of Japan’s Awaji Puppet Theatre. Skydive provides an uplifting window into of the power of the imagination, while East of Berlin takes a provocative look at history’s psychological legacies.

The visual arts programs on offer roam and explore the underworld of China’s outlaw performance art scene and revel in the magic of Canada’s finest ice carvers. Closer to home, a tribute to Stan Douglas and the seminal roots of the Vancouver School reveals an intriguing snapshot of Vancouver’s arts scene in the 1980s. Cinephiles can enjoy historical and new films screened in novel settings, such as snow banks and shipping containers. Israel’s Batsheva Dance Company, Quebec’s Marie Brassard and Spain’s flamenco master Maria Juncal provide a glimpse of some of the most exciting dance marking today’s world stages.

“As we build to the extraordinary Games-time program of 2010 the constant for the Cultural Olympiad is our commitment to the vibrancy of our regional and national arts and cultural scene,” said Robert Kerr, VANOC’s program director, Cultural Olympiad. “Partnering with arts and cultural organizations is fundamental to creating a successful program that truly engages our community, celebrates its creativity and leads to legacies lasting long past 2010.”

For a complete list of Cultural Olympiad 2009 events, visit www.vancouver2010.com/culturalolympiad.

One-Year Countdown Celebration featuring Sarah McLachlan
An all-star Canadian lineup headlined by the extraordinary singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan has been assembled for a special event on February 12 at 7:30 pm at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre to mark the official one-year countdown to the 2010 Winter Games. One of the most gifted and acclaimed performers of her generation, the multiple Grammy and Juno award winner will perform songs drawn from her legendary 20-year multi-platinum recording career.

The stellar program will also feature the exuberant alt/rock of Halifax singer/songwriter Joel Plaskett; the sublime music-making of the dynamic young Canadian violinist Adrian Anantawan; and Alberta Ballet’s performance of If—an excerpt from the exhilarating 2007 ballet The Fiddle and Drum by Joni Mitchell and choreographer Jean Grand-Maître.

Tickets for the One-Year Countdown Celebration go on sale Saturday, November 1, 2008 at www.vancouver2010.com/culturalolympiad.

Sounds of Canada
The 2009 festival also features a number of Cultural Olympiad-produced music events, which collectively reflect the sounds of contemporary Canada. Two of the country’s hottest bands – Toronto’s Broken Social Scene and Calgary’s Tegan and Sara – set the stage with a hot double bill at the Orpheum Theatre on February 6 at 8:00 pm. Tickets go on sale Saturday, November 1, 2008 at www.vancouver2010.com/culturalolympiad.

Looking down the road, the New Songs, New Voices series at the Waterfront Theatre, from February 26 – March 1, features four nights of music from a dozen of the next great Canadian singer/songwriters. Additional concerts will be announced in the late fall.

Bringing the Olympiad into the digital realm
One of the highlights of Cultural Olympiad 2009 is the introduction of CODE — the Cultural Olympiad’s Digital Edition. CODE is a suite of digital programs intended to engage a wide range of audiences through the use of digital platforms and media.

During Cultural Olympiad 2009, CODE will issue its biggest call to participate with the launch of The Canada Code, an online collaborative art project that invites Canadians everywhere to contribute text, images and their creativity to this massive grassroots art project. The goal is to create a unique picture of contemporary Canada for the world to see in 2010. The 2009 program also includes the first in a series of digital stages intended to carve an online spotlight for Canadian talent. Further developments will unfold online throughout the year as the momentum builds to CODE on the Ground, a two-week digital arts festival during Cultural Olympiad 2010.

CODE is presently working in partnership with national and local arts and new media organizations to develop the platforms, tools and content for CODE’s range of initiatives. Additional details will be announced in late 2008 and early 2009.

“Digital platforms overlook time and geography, which are among their greatest advantages. CODE can enhance the 2010 commitment to reach out to all Canadians, and extend the overall capacity and impact of the Cultural Olympiad,” said Rae Hull, director, Media Programs and Partnerships, Cultural Olympiad. “Canada is one of the most wired countries in the world, and CODE can help focus a spotlight on the nation’s creativity that everyone can see.”

Taking the Cultural Olympiad across Canada
Designed to ensure Canadians from all regions can participate in the Cultural Olympiad experience, the National Presentation and Touring Program (NPTP) will bring to large cities and smaller rural centres some of Canada’s most dynamic talent. By facilitating tours of participating Cultural Olympiad artists, the NPTP will help build new connections between artists, audiences and presenters, creating positive post-Games arts legacies for all Canadians.

The program is a unique partnership between VANOC, the arts community, and Canada’s federal, provincial and territorial ministries responsible for culture and their arts funding agencies. The NPTP starts in 2009, and will expand significantly in 2010. Touring activity will take place concurrently with the Cultural Olympiad 2009 and 2010. Additional information about the NPTP is available at www.vancouver2010.com/culturalolympiad.

About the Cultural Olympiad
The Cultural Olympiad is a series of multi-disciplinary festivals and digital programs showcasing the best in Canadian and international arts and popular culture. Launched in 2008, this multi-year celebration features an expanded program in 2009 (February 1 to March 21, 2009). The program culminates with the 60-day Cultural Olympiad 2010 (January 22 to March 21, 2010), which begins before and continues throughout the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

Partnerships

Corporate
Bell is proud to be a Premier National Partner and the exclusive Telecommunications Partner to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, and the presenting sponsor for the Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad.

Bell is Canada's largest communications company, providing consumers with solutions to all their communications needs, including telephone services, wireless communications, high-speed Internet, digital television and voice over IP. Bell also offers integrated information and communications technology (ICT) services to businesses and governments, and is the Virtual Chief Information Officer (VCIO) to small and medium businesses (SMBs). Bell is wholly owned by BCE Inc. For information on Bell's products and services, please visit www.bell.ca. For corporate information on BCE, please visit www.bce.ca.

Government
The Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad is grateful for the support of the following governments and their cultural agencies: Government of Canada; all of Canada’s provinces: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador; and all of Canada’s territories: Nunavut, Northwest Territories and Yukon.

In addition to the Cultural Olympiad’s government and corporate partners, CODE is proudly supported by the Canada Council for the Arts and the National Film Board of Canada. New Media BC and Wavefront Innovation Society are also both active participants in the project.

The National Presentation and Touring Program is generously supported by the Canada Council for the Arts.

About VANOC
VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010. Visit www.vancouver2010.com.

Contact
VANOC Communications
mediarelations@vancouver2010.com