Final choices: mission statements and programme description

According to Brown (2000) the planning stage for the Olympic cultural programme was surrounded by insecurity and permanent change in a context where SOCOG was just starting to take shape (pers. comm., 6 Oct). By the end of 1994, at a time when the provisions for critical components of the Games such as the sports competitions, marketing and sponsorship were at their infancy, the team in charge of the OAF was fully operational. They had to undertake crucial decisions about the mission and key components the cultural programme and present concrete proposals for events that were to take place three years prior to the Games, in 1997.

2 7 The Youth Camp is an optional requirement described under Rule 58 of the Olympic Charter. It is aimed at bringing together young people in the host-city from each participating country. Two youths are normally chosen by every National Olympic Committee, aged between 18 to 22 years old. The Charter recommends them to be hosted together during the duration of the Games in order for them to learn about the Olympic movement and the host-city Culture.

The Youth Camp must include an education programme and implement cultural and arts activities (IOC 2001).

Brown (2000) explains that the lack of clear guidelines on the part of the IOC was felt as an encouragement to creativity but also a difficult challenge. This was because the team could not find a reliable point of reference to guide their decisions and avoid the conceptual mistakes of prior Games editions. As such, the process to define the final profile of Sydney’s cultural programme was based mostly on the proposals made by the locally designated Olympic Cultural Commission²⁸, a group of Australian influential personalities and experts in the cultural sector that had been assigned to advise on cultural matters since the bid stage. The executive team had the difficult task to balance the ambitious proposals made by the advisory Commission with the limited resources provided by SOCOG. Furthermore, they had to balance this situation with the growing suspicion that the OAF was not to receive the same financial and promotional support as other dimensions of the Games.

a) Mission statements and key deliverables

Below is a summary the current requirements that the IOC establishes for the design and implementation of a cultural programme, and the way these requirements were interpreted and adapted to the reality of the Sydney OAF.

Figure 6.i: Mission statements and key deliverables for the Olympic cultural programme Olympic cultural programme mission as defined by the IOC

§ Promote harmonious relations, mutual understanding and friendship among the participants and others attending the Olympic Games

(Adapted from IOC 1997: 56) Key deliverables as defined by the IOC

§ Include cultural events organised in the Olympic Village and symbolising the universality and the diversity of human culture

§ Include other events with the same purpose held mainly in the host-city

§ Cover at least the entire period during which the Olympic Village is open

(Adapted from IOC 1997: 57) OAF mission as defined by SOCOG

§ Express to the world Australia's spirit of Olympic friendship and vitality (1998e)

§ Demonstrate the unifying force of the Olympic Movement in blending sport and culture (1998e)

§ Reflect Australia's diverse and dynamic artistic life and the powerful influences driving and shaping its cultural make-up, among them: indigenous cultures, geography and landscape, immigration and Australia's physical place in the world as a vast island continent of the Southern Hemisphere (1999h)

§ Demonstrate the best of the arts in Australia and the Oceanic region to Australians and the rest of the world and leave a legacy of awareness of the wealth of talent Australia possess (1998e)

(Adapted from diverse SOCOG fact sheets and press releases)

2 8 See chapter 7, section 2 for more details on the role and involvement of the 2000 Games Olympic Cultural Commission. Do not confuse with the IOC Cultural Commission.

Brown (2000) explains that the lack of clear guidelines on the part of the IOC was felt as an encouragement to creativity but also a difficult challenge. This was because the team could not find a reliable point of reference to guide their decisions and avoid the conceptual mistakes of prior Games editions. As such, the process to define the final profile of Sydney’s cultural programme was based mostly on the proposals made by the locally designated Olympic Cultural Commission²⁸, a group of Australian influential personalities and experts in the cultural sector that had been assigned to advise on cultural matters since the bid stage. The executive team had the difficult task to balance the ambitious proposals made by the advisory Commission with the limited resources provided by SOCOG. Furthermore, they had to balance this situation with the growing suspicion that the OAF was not to receive the same financial and promotional support as other dimensions of the Games.

a) Mission statements and key deliverables

Below is a summary the current requirements that the IOC establishes for the design and implementation of a cultural programme, and the way these requirements were interpreted and adapted to the reality of the Sydney OAF.

Figure 6.i: Mission statements and key deliverables for the Olympic cultural programme Olympic cultural programme mission as defined by the IOC

§ Promote harmonious relations, mutual understanding and friendship among the participants and others attending the Olympic Games

(Adapted from IOC 1997: 56) Key deliverables as defined by the IOC

§ Include cultural events organised in the Olympic Village and symbolising the universality and the diversity of human culture

§ Include other events with the same purpose held mainly in the host-city

§ Cover at least the entire period during which the Olympic Village is open

(Adapted from IOC 1997: 57) OAF mission as defined by SOCOG

§ Express to the world Australia's spirit of Olympic friendship and vitality (1998e)

§ Demonstrate the unifying force of the Olympic Movement in blending sport and culture (1998e)

§ Reflect Australia's diverse and dynamic artistic life and the powerful influences driving and shaping its cultural make-up, among them: indigenous cultures, geography and landscape, immigration and Australia's physical place in the world as a vast island continent of the Southern Hemisphere (1999h)

§ Demonstrate the best of the arts in Australia and the Oceanic region to Australians and the rest of the world and leave a legacy of awareness of the wealth of talent Australia possess (1998e)

(Adapted from diverse SOCOG fact sheets and press releases)

2 8 See chapter 7, section 2 for more details on the role and involvement of the 2000 Games Olympic Cultural Commission. Do not confuse with the IOC Cultural Commission.

Key deliverables as defined by SOCOG

§ Establish an effective staffing team, highly experienced in project management of arts events, including artistic programme development, contract negotiation, production, operations, marketing and publicity and promotion

§ Establish strong and effective links with key SOCOG programmes to ensure an integrated approach to the delivery of the festivals and the Olympic Games

§ Establish strong and effective links with major arts organisations, arts companies and cultural venues, forming a partnership in the presentation of festival programming

§ Develop and implement each of the four festivals for the four year OAF

(Adapted from notes in SOCOG 2000f-a: 6) Source: Adaptation by the author of IOC 1997, SOCOG (1997-2000) and SOCOG 2000f-a b) Programme description

“The Sydney 2000 Olympic Arts Festivals aim is to demonstrate the best of the arts in Australia and the Oceanic region to ourselves and the rest of the world and to leave a legacy of awareness of the wealth of talent we possess.” […] “The festivals will reflect Australia’s diverse cultural character and will look beyond Australia to involve many nations and peoples” (Mission Statement, OAF 1998)

The team in charge of the cultural programme decided to keep the original bid promise of a four-year celebration, with each four-year presenting a different festival. The first festival took place in 1997 and the final one in year 2000, alongside the Olympic Games sporting competitions. They were all gathered under the generic name of ‘Olympic Arts Festivals’, referred in this thesis as OAF.

The appendix incorporates a section providing a general description of each individual festival²⁹. As a general reference, find bellow is a brief summary of each festival’s characteristics by title, time period, location, main themes, mission statements, defined objectives and programme of events.

Table 6.i: Festivals length, themes, objectives and main components

Year, name, length

1998 exhibition Sculpture by the Sea.

Publications:1998 Anthology of

Source: OAF web pages at SOCOG website and promotional literature (SOCOG) Collectively, the different festivals were created to respond to the aims of the mission statement.

However, each festival was focused on a different theme and had a different emphasis. As such, each festival also had an emphasis on some objectives over others, as the following list describes.

§ Genuine showcase of Aboriginal artworks (specific The Festival of the Dreaming; common goal)

§ Manifestation of diversity to secure representation (specific A Sea Change; common goal)

§ International scope and demonstration of excellence (specific Reaching the World; The Harbour of Life)

§ National involvement, community participation (specific A Sea Change; common goal)

§ People’s awareness and understanding of the OAF concept and its mission (common goal)

§ Development of new opportunities, support to new works and emerging artists (common goal)

§ Establishment of legacies (common goal)