CO
Culture @ the Olympics
issues, trends and perspectives
More than a game
Olympic arts programming can
increase local participationi
Beatriz García
Two years ago I wrote an
article titled ‘The Olympics
is not a sporting event’. The
intention was to emphasise
the cultural dimension of
an event that is often
viewed solely as an elite
sports competition. Unlike
other sports events, the
Olympics are supposed to
be more than that. They are
supposed to be a vehicle to
achieve individual self-
improvement, civic
involvement and cultural
understanding in order to,
ultimately, advance towards
world peace.
In this context, the issue of direct
participation can be seen as
central to the Olympic
experience. Interestingly, this is
an aspect that has low resonance
in discussions around the benefit
of hosting the Games. This article
debates existing contradictions
between the Olympic ideals and
the reality of staging the Games,
and ways in which some of the
Culture @ the Olympics, 2004: vol. 6, issue 3, pp. 35-40
www.culturalolympics.org.uk
less known – but more
meaningful – dimensions of the
Games could place participation
back at the centre of the
celebration.
The Olympic Games are
embedded within an ambitious
philosophy of ‘Olympism’ the
objective of which is to foster
human relations through the
interactions of sport, culture and
education. The Games are indeed
the most visible expression of this
ideal, inspired in the practices of
Ancient Greece and revived more
than a century ago by the French
pedagogue Baron Pierre de
Coubertin. Since the first Games
celebration in 1896, the event has
grown from being a utopian
initiative by European aristocrats
into the largest international
peace gathering, which receives
United Nations endorsement.
However, not all dimensions of
the Games have evolved with
equal levels of support and
public recognition. While the
sporting competitions have
become the top aspiration of any
athlete around the world, and the

Olympic rituals and symbols (the
rings, Olympic flag, anthems,
torch relay and Games opening
and closing ceremonies) are
recognised and followed through
the media worldwide, the
educational and cultural
aspirations of Olympism are
often misrepresented,
misunderstood or simply
unknown by Olympic partners
and the general public alike.
Part of the problem of the Games
and the lack of attention for their
non-sporting dimensions is the
strong dependence of the
Olympics on media and sponsor
support and with it, an increased
dedication to satisfying the
demands of journalists
(broadcasters in particular) and
commercial funders. This has led
to an increased commitment to
make the biggest spectacle the
world has ever seen. In what
seems an unintended twist of the
original Olympic motto - ‘higher,
faster, stronger’ – the Games are
now seen necessary to be bigger
and better each time, while the
dedication to guarantee direct
participation and local
representation seems less clear.
I have spent the past seven years
researching the cultural
dimension of the Games and, in
particular, the role and potential
of arts programming to maximise
participation in and ownership of
the Olympic experience. I base
my recommendations to bid
committees on this doctoral and
post-doctoral research. As well,
www.culturalolympics.org.uk
my arguments are based on an
evaluation of the cultural
programme of the Manchester
2002 Commonwealth Games,
which I led soon after its
conclusion.
the Olympic Games and
their surrounding rituals
have an intrinsic cultural
value and are important
cultural phenomena thanks
to their worldwide
dissemination
In my work it is evident that the
Olympic Games and their
surrounding rituals have an
intrinsic cultural value and are
important cultural phenomena
thanks to their worldwide
dissemination and thus their
ability to influence millions of
viewers representing more than
200 nations.
However, it is in the close-up
one-to-one relationships that the
most meaningful and sustainable
exchanges can take place. What
do the Games mean to the local
participants who grow with the
preparations and, rightly, feel
that they are hosting the entire
world? How can these sentiments
facilitate a greater sense of local
cohesion among diverse
communities who often struggle
to engage with each others’ social
problems?
García, 2004: More than a game 36

These aspects of the Olympic
Games do not necessarily take
place in the competition and
ceremony arenas. They are, in
fact, more frequent and visible in
the bars, parks and streets of the
host city, in its cultural centres
and schools, in the apartments of
the Olympic Village (where
athletes reside, train and rest) and
in the queues to enter Olympic or
related venues.
Olympic spectators enjoy the warm
sunny day at one of the Live Sites!, a
non-ticketed space at Sydney 2000.
These are some of the many
public arenas of an Olympic host
city and its surroundings where
locals, visitors and event
participants can meet personally.
Ultimately, they are the arenas
where most cultural exchange
takes place and where there are
greater opportunities to increase
participation. Yet, they are often
underdeveloped and
underappreciated spaces by the
Games organisers, who have
lacked the vision or infrastructure
to capitalise on their potential to
create meaningful personal
experiences, which can become
www.culturalolympics.org.uk
the longer lasting consequences
of the Games.
After the circus has left town at
an Olympic city, it is the local
cultural legacy that brings a
greater sense of optimism to a
location. This is demonstrated by
research on the legacy of the
Barcelona 1992 Games, where the
effect of having volunteered in
the Games – resulting in
increased pride and confidence in
the city and strengthened cultural
citizenship – has had greater
ramifications and positive
impacts than that of constructing
a new upbeat seafront
neighbourhood – the expensive
Olympic Village, which, twelve
years on, has achieved popularity
with tourists in the summer but
failed to create a sense of
community within it and is
considered a ghost town in the
winter months.
Today, with growing concerns
and funding dedication to
maximise security and prevent
terrorism, it is possible that
organises will pay little attention
to on the potential for personal
cultural exchange that the Games
offers, which would reduce its
participatory element. In this
context, it is critical to rethink
what more can be done through
Olympic cultural and educational
programming.
I note below some suggestions
that have emerged from my
research on past Olympic
editions – from Barcelona 1992
García, 2004: More than a game 37

onwards – and end with a
reflection on the potential
contribution of Olympic arts
activities to enhance
participation.
In order to allow culture and the
arts to play a significant role
within the Olympics, two of the
most important challenges to
overcome are their low visibility
among Olympic spectators and
media reporters, and the limited
appreciation or understanding of
their relevance within the Games.
The first challenge can be best
overcome by linking arts activity
with those Olympic events that
receive greater media attention.
This means incorporating arts
programming within sporting
venues, for example, placing
exhibitions and arts performances
at the entrance or surroundings
of stadiums, in particular, at
Olympic Park, which is the
precinct gathering most
competition venues – and
broadcasting cameras. It also
means establishing direct links
with rituals such as the torch
relay celebrations, which take
place throughout the host
country but are often
disconnected from their local
environment – or connected in
not very creative or distinct ways.
For the Seoul Games in 1988, one
of the most memorable
dimensions of the official arts
programme was its role in the
torch relay, as every city and
town receiving the OIympic
www.culturalolympics.org.uk
flame organised a parallel arts
festival showcasing local
gastronomy and traditions.
Furthermore, the issue of
perceived relevance requires the
arts programme to empathise
with the surrounding Olympic
atmosphere. This can be achieved
through blending with the public
arenas already mentioned: the
arts experience should happen in
the street and be a leading force
in any organised open air festival
during Games time.
Unfortunately, past Olympic arts
programmes have often been
limited to showcasing elite artists
in cultural venues that, though
prestigious among the art-
connoisseurs, may be marginal to
the Olympic celebrations.
LiveSites! performers on the street,
Sydney 2000.
This approach to arts
programming does not welcome
direct participation by the locals
and, combined with the lack of
media exposure, is rarely able to
create meaningful impacts and
legacies. Sydney 2000 offers a
García, 2004: More than a game 38

good example of the level of
success that can be achieved
through free street activities. Yet,
it is also an example of a missed
opportunity for establishing
memorable cultural legacies.
The open-air programme should
have included more distinctive
arts performances (such as that of
the Australian company ‘Legs on
the Wall’, also invited to perform
in the Manchester
Commonwealth Games) rather
than typical entertainment
(popular but often unremarkable
acrobats and musicians).
To end this article, it is perhaps
worth reflecting briefly on how
arts activity can further enhance
the experience of participation in
the Olympics. Given the
aspirations of the Olympic
philosophy and the potential
(and challenge) of hosting large-
scale world events, there are
three main areas that stand out:
increased ownership of the event,
greater inclusion and stronger
opportunities for intercultural
understanding.
Event ownership can be increased
by representing and giving a
voice to specific communities in
creative and distinctive ways,
which can build on the strong
sense of cohesion that
characterises sports followers. To
achieve this, it is important to
design the arts programme in
direct consultation with the locals
and use it as a platform for their
www.culturalolympics.org.uk
involvement rather than solely as
a prestige device for the elite.
Arts activities can also enhance
participation because they offer
greater opportunities for
inclusion. This is particularly
important in the context of the
Olympics, where the sport
competitions and main rituals are
reserved mostly for top athletes
and distinguished citizens.
Barcelona 1992 started the
tradition of presenting four-year
cultural programmes in the
approach to the Games – the
Cultural Olympiad. This tradition
has caused some strain in terms
of budgeting and promotion but
has also increased opportunities
for access and direct
participation, with activities
taking place beyond the Olympic
host city and often incorporating
existing festivals and other local
initiatives.
arts activity can assist in
improving cultural
understanding through
providing a context to the
many discourses and
experiences taking place
during the Games
Finally, arts activity can assist in
improving cultural understanding
through providing a context to
the many discourses and
experiences taking place during
the Games. As such, in order to
García, 2004: More than a game 39

appreciate the relevance of the
victory of Aboriginal athlete
Cathy Freeman in Sydney 2000, it
was not enough just to watch her
compete. The meaning of this
victory was better understood
through visiting the many
exhibitions of contemporary
Aboriginal artists or participating
in the events organised by local
Aboriginal groups where their
current cultural, social and
political aspirations were
expressed.
All of these arguments should
help place the arts and, with
.
i This article has been originally
published as: García, B. (2004) More
than a Game. The Value of Olympic
arts programming to increase local
participation. In: MailOut. The
National Magazine for developing
participation in the arts.
(August/September 2004, pp.9-10)
www.culturalolympics.org.uk
them, culture and education, back
at the centre of the debate about
the value of hosting the
Olympics. As London – and four
other cities – now take up the
baton to bid for the 2012 Olympic
Summer Games, questions have
arisen about what makes a
successful bid. But perhaps first
must be asked what should be the
values underpinning it so that
both the bid and, ultimately, the
Games, deliver what they are
meant to: not only a large-scale
spectacle, but also an opportunity
for individual development and
intercultural understanding.
García, 2004: More than a game 40