26 September 2008

One of Essex County Council’s most exciting cultural events has become the first in Essex to receive national recognition and be awarded the prestigious London 2012 Inspire Mark as part of the Cultural Olympiad.
 
The Essex Jiangsu Festival, which is taking place across the county until March next year, has been recognised by the London 2012 Olympics committee as representing the Cultural Olympiad’s values of inspiring and involving young people and leaving a lasting positive legacy.
 
Only a chosen few will be able to display the Inspire Mark which forms part of the four year Cultural Olympiad programme leading up to the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. The aim is to integrate culture into the Games and to showcase vibrant arts movements across the country as well as encouraging community involvement and enhancing the learning, skills and personal development of young people.
 
County Councillor Jeremy Lucas, Essex County Council Cabinet Member for Heritage, Culture and the Arts, commented: “It is a true honour to have been selected for the Inspire Mark and shows that the Essex Jiangsu Festival is committed to inclusion and promoting cultural celebration in the county. As this is our Year of Culture it is entirely fitting that we have received this accolade and I am sure that this innovative and ground breaking festival will create a long lasting legacy for the people of Essex.”
 
As well as a host of colourful and exciting performances taking place across Essex, the County Council is also opening a Jiangsu Centre which will continue to promote Chinese culture and language. The centre will be located on two sites, in Harlow and Ingatestone and will offer language classes as well as other Chinese cultural studies.
 
Essex also boasts a very successful school exchange programme with many of the county’s schools now linked with a partner school in Jiangsu and teaching Mandarin language as part of the curriculum. Through these long lasting initiatives it is hoped that Essex will continue to lead the way in its links with China and Jiangsu Province.
 
County Councillor Stephen Castle, Essex County Council Cabinet member for Economic Development, Regeneration and the 2012 Games, also Chairman of Nations and Regions East, added: "I am delighted that so many projects in the East of England have been granted the London 2012 Inspire mark as part of the Cultural Olympiad.  This cultural programme, which will gain momentum over the next four years, will inspire young people to get involved in new and exciting activities that they haven't experienced before and will ultimately help to create a lasting legacy from the Games, something that we are committed to achieving in Essex."
 
Barbara Follett, Minister for the East of England said: “The London 2012 Games are not just about sport, they will also celebrate cultures, people and languages. Here in the East of England I know there is a great wave of enthusiasm for the Games as we saw last month when hundreds of people turned out to celebrate the handover of the Olympics from Beijing to London.
 
“Now we have a perfect opportunity for more people and organisations from our region to get involved through a range of imaginative and exciting events and activities. I congratulate everyone who has already been awarded the Inspire Mark and feel sure that they will inspire many others to take part.”
 
The Essex Jiangsu Festival continues right across the county until March next year. To find out more about what’s going on in your area visit the website at www.essex-china.org

ENDS