I acted as Expert curator for this important discussion back in 2019, part of Voices of Culture, the Structured Dialogue between the European Commission and the Culture Sector. We involved a wide range of participants, representing 36 organisations across the EU. Why is gender balance important? Several gender gaps exist in nearly all cultural fields…
As the first appointed Culture Advisor to the International Olympic Committee, I am delighted to have started work with the Tokyo 2020 team on their Olympic and Paralympic cultural programme developments. I spent some days in Tokyo assessing progress and observing the wealth of cultural activities taking place and being planned in the lead to…
Commissioned by the British Council, this project explores the relationship between the British Council and the UK City of Culture (UKCC) programme, focusing on interrogating the added value provided by the British Council, as event partner focused on building international cultural relations for the UK. Drawing on a review of policy and strategy documents, as well as interviews with…
Two days into the Winter Olympic Games, my Cultural Olympiad hightlights are as follows: Dual cultural programming: Cultural Olympiad / Culture 2018 Plus Dedicated transport: Cultural Olympiad Shuttle Dedicated colours: Hot pink branding for culture Korean fun: K-Pop Festa Art + Sport links at Games info points Cultural Olympiad / Culture 2018 Plus Cultural…
I am on my way to my eleventh Olympic Games edition, this time in Pyeongchang, South Korea. I will be observing the staging of the Cultural Olympiad and reporting on the Games cultural dimension as an IOC-accredited journalist, based at the Main Press Centre. The focus of my observations will be the official cultural programme,…
Impacts’18 is a longitudinal research programme dedicated to capturing the long-term effects of hosting the European Capital of Culture title on the city of Liverpool. Using the data baseline and methodological framework established by Impacts 08 — a five-year study on the economic, environmental, social and cultural impacts of Liverpool 2008 — Impacts 18 offers a…
I have researched the European Capital of Culture (ECoC) initiative since 2002 and have documented the experience of all ECoC hosts (over 65 cities, in more than 30 European countries) since the initiative’s launch in 1985. My research has focused on studying the symbolic regeneration potential and long-term cultural legacies of hosting an ECoC, as well as…
Reimaging Brazilian cities | Urban images and cultural narratives in the wake of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games The British Academy has allocated a Newton Fund grant for a year-long project collaboration between Dr Beatriz Garcia and a team of researchers at the University of Sao Paulo, led by Professor Paulo Nassar. The project assesses…
I am in Rio throughout the Olympic Games, as I have done since 1999 across eight Olympic cities (nine if I include the memories of my hometown, Barcelona in 1992). I’ll be documenting and reporting on the Olympic cultural programme or Cultural Olympiad. Highlights so far: The first IOC funded Artist in Residence programme, featuring…
I have been awarded one of only six Advanced Olympic Research Grants by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), for a research project titled ‘The value of global cultural policy-making: Building bridges between Olympic cities and the Olympic Movement through transnational cultural narratives’. The project will document the testing and implementation of the first IOC Cultural Action Plan…
I have been appointed by the British Council to direct a research project on the impact that the Shakespeare Lives programme has on perceptions of Britain. I will lead a team within the Institute of Cultural Capital to conduct this work throughout 2016. We will work closely with three different areas of the world as core case studies:…
The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) supports ICC research programme on the ten year legacy of Liverpool as European Capital of Culture The Institute of Cultural Capital has been allocated funding from the AHRC Cultural Engagement Fund to kick-start an exciting new programme of research on the ten year legacy of Liverpool as European Capital…
I am in Brazil during the first week in August 2015 to meet with key figures behind Rio’s 2016 Olympic Games preparations, as part of my assessment of the event’s cultural legacy. With one year to go until the opening ceremony, I am meeting with Carla Camurati, Director of the Rio 2016 Cultural Olympiad; the Secretary of…
In 2015, the European Capital of Culture programme celebrates 30 years, and this has taken me to party ‘like it was 1985’ in Pilsen, current ECoC host with Mons, as well as continue sharing my European Parliament research findings. I am also contributing to other international gatherings such as that organised in Paris by the…
Follow me on twitter (@beatriz_garcia); flickr! and via the Culture @ the Olympics magazine to read daily commentary, analysis and view top images from the Sochi 2014 Cultural Olympiad, Ceremonies, Look of the Games and all related cultural narrative. I am based in Sochi for the duration of the Winter Olympic Games, from the 7…
In 2009 I attracted funding from the European Commission to establish an international network of researchers and programmers working on the European Capital of Culture initiative. The group focused on finding a common and replicable framework for programme assessment and delivery. This collaboration led to a series of workshops, managed by Liverpool via the Impacts 08…
I have been conducting research on the Olympic Games cultural dimension since 1999, in particular, the Cultural Olympiad or official Olympic Arts Festivals. Case studies to date include Sydney 2000, Salt Lake 2002, Athens 2004, Torino 2006 and Beijing 2008. Since 2004, I am also acting as academic observer and advisor to the London 2012…
Additional information and links: Impacts 08 website | Programme summary Impacts 08 – The Liverpool Model, is a joint research initiative of the University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores University, which evaluates the impact of Liverpool’s hosting the European Capital of Culture title in 2008. The research, commissioned by Liverpool City Council, is the…
Co-investigators: Dr Beatriz Garcia and Dr Andy Miah Research funded by the British Academy. Additional information and links: Culture @ the Olympics | 2006 edition This project develops BA funded research awarded to Drs Garcia and Miah in 2004 to study the role of the non-accredited media centre (NAMC) at the Athens Olympic Games. Our…
Lead Investigator: Research funded by the Centre for Cultural Policy Research (CCPR, University of Glasgow). From January 2002 to December 2005, Dr Beatriz Garcia was the principal investigator of a research project on Cities and Culture, using Glasgow 1990 European City of Culture as a case study. The research was conducted at the Centre for Cultural…