Days after the launch of the Paris 2024 Cultural Olympiad, I have been listening to podcasts on Seoul as a new global art centre and been reminded of the arts offer at the #PyeongChang2018 Winter Olympic Games. This South Korean #CulturalOlympiad was surprising in its diversity, creativity and high quality, ranging from K-Pop concerts to…
Article written for the Arts and Humanities Research Council After a year of on-and-off global lockdowns the need to gather and experience collective joy feels more urgent and pressing than ever. Festivals and outdoor cultural experiences offer us the chance to connect and feel part of a community in positive and inspiring ways. In this…
Una reflexión poética de expatriada y turista en casa, sobre la necesidad de hacer y reinventar nuestras ciudades durante este 2020 pandémico Cómo empezar de nuevo cuando lo único que puedes hacer es continuar… En tiempos de pandemia, querer recuperar como propia una ciudad en la que te has vuelto turista a medias, es un…
Reflections from a non-stop travellerrediscovering life in her city while isolating at home Here you have a collection of diary entries about what inspires or puzzles me every day, while watching out of my apartment window. For a professional who makes a living out of international travel, spending weeks on end alone at home has…
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games have been postponed. It is only the fourth time this happens in 125 years, the only three previous occasions being due to World War I and World War II. The time it has taken for the International Olympic Committee to make such decision is indicative of the weight…
So pleased to feature in the latest issue of #TheSecularHeretic with an article on ‘Art and Decadence’ discussing cycles of #cityRenaissance, #regeneration & #gentrification with an emphasis on the often ungenerous impact of such processes on artists
Tokyo’s Cultural Olympiad: youth, heritage, empowerment and nationwide celebration Article published by Net TAM (Toyota Art Management) In English | In Japanese The Cultural Olympiad has been an essential component of every edition of the Olympic Games since 1912. Despite its long history, the Olympic cultural programme is one of the least well known dimensions…
Valletta 2018 launches its year with Erba ‘ Pjajez, “Four squares” involving multiple repeating shows throughout the city, a good concept to ensure as many local citizens & visitors as possible experience the opening party of their European Capital of Culture It is Important for locals too that all events were in Maltese rather…
We need to acknowledge both the black AND the white (plus some grey, also) As academics, we have no choice but to jump onto the sound bite bandwagon if we want to remain relevant in the era of the 140 character statement. Punchy headlines and short articles (“800 words max, please”) have become important vehicles for…
I wake up to the not totally surprising but still mystifying news of a Brexit. My first thought is: research on Europe is more needed than ever, now. Can the UK have it both ways, protecting the best out of its relationship with European institutions, while abandoning the common EU project? I wonder about…
On the day the United Kingdom decides whether to remain in or leave the EU, I share my personal take on the value of this relationship. This is a personal reflection informed by 16 years researching urban change and documenting the journeys of cities trying to rebuild their economic base while protecting their social fabric and advancing their cultural outlook.…
Full reference: Garcia, B. (2014) ‘The Olympic Games Cultural Narrative: Ceremonies, Cultural Olympiads and Look of the Games as platforms to project the host city and nation”, Russian International Olympic University Herald, 2014(1), pp. 112-120. The Olympic Games is recognized worldwide as the largest sports mega-event – certainly the event attracting the largest amount of…
Published in September 2012, issue 257 (http://artsprofessional.co.uk/Magazine/view.cfm?id=6460&issue=257) Full article below A cultural blueprint Beatriz Garcia reflects on the Cultural Olympiad and the learning that can be passed on to Games hosts of the future. The London 2012 Games mark precisely 100 years since the first official commitment to presenting cultural and artistic activity…
Originally published by the Centre for Olympic Studies, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, within their Beijing Olympic Games Series [link] Full text below The gigantism of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games was mirrored in the ambition of its cultural programme, though the nuance of its delivery is a more intricate story, where its vast investment into…