Kent Cultural Baton Case Study
Summary
The Kent Cultural Baton is an original piece of artwork which will help local residents get involved in and learn more about cultural activities and opportunities within Kent in the build up to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
What We Did
Kent County Council is leading on the project through the Arts Development Unit as part of the Kent Campaign for the 2012 Games.
Kent County Council is leading on the project through the Arts Development Unit as part of the Kent Campaign for the 2012 Games.
- Artists
- Schools and young people
- Local businesses
- Arts organisations and groups
- Local community groups
Once the Baton has been created by a chosen artist, a wide range of individuals and organisations from across Kent will be able to apply to host the Baton in the run up to London 2012. Hosts will not necessarily be exclusively ‘cultural’ and hosts will come from a cross section of the community including youth groups, schools, scientists and individual performing and visual artists. Hosts will update an ongoing blog to chart the Baton’s progress and highlight their thoughts and activities relating to culture.
Throughout 2009–2012 the Kent Cultural Baton will celebrate British and international culture ahead of London 2012 by inviting a range of individuals and organisations to interact with the Baton as hosts, audience, participants and through the outreach programme. The Kent Cultural Baton will increase the profile and understanding, locally, nationally and internationally of London 2012, the Cultural Olympiad and of cultural activity within Kent. It will capture, like never before, a legacy of shared memories from the build up to London 2012, a unique moment in our history.
End results (Outcomes)
The ‘Kent Cultural Baton’ (KCB) is a registered trademark title for a project in which an artistic concept travels around the county
- ‘joining up’ Kent’s dynamic but diverse cultural build up to the London 2012 Games
- raising the profile of practitioners, organisations and community groups who work across the 21 Cultural Olympiad ‘sectors’
- supporting the public to better understand and celebrate Kent’s rich cultural offer
- generating interest and engagement of new audiences
- encouraging cultural and creative participatory work to build community cohesion
The KCB will also address the wider themes of the Cultural Olympiad…
- Encouraging audiences to take part
- Animating public spaces – through street arts, public art, circus skills, live big screen sites
- Bringing together culture and sport
- 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 programme
