With only a few weeks to go until the Opening Ceremony, sailing host venue Weymouth and Portland is gearing up to London 2012 through art.
As the largest venue outside London, Weymouth and Portland is a hive of activity as the borough prepares to welcome the World.
Thousands of visitors and spectators are expected to come to Weymouth and Portland to watch sailors from 63 nations compete against the backdrop of the world famous Jurassic Coastline while also soaking up a bit of the traditional British seaside holiday atmosphere.
Helping to pave the way for the sports competition have been internationally and locally inspired arts projects including a 15 ft giant inflatable red ball squeezing through Weymouth’s narrow Georgian Streets as part of RedBall UK and 500 deckchairs with seats designed by local people, along the Esplanade.
The town has also installed seven, 15 metre high columns which project veils of light across the beach and on onto the sea every night created by artists Vong Phaophanit and Claire Oboussier while local volunteer group Revive Portland has got together volunteers to pot 7,000 plants which help bring additional colour to the area.
All this is in addition to the London 2012 banners, flags, bunting and flowers that are being installed throughout Weymouth, Portland and Dorset and the large scale Olympic Rings carved from local Portland stone, the same used on St Paul’s Cathedral in London, outside the station.
But this is just the start of the Weymouth and Portland’s 2012 activity. The Olympic Torch arrives on 12 July where celebrations will include a Rio-style carnival of 800 local children and a massive Torch celebration on the beach.
While during the Games visitors and locals will be able to go to the Live Site on the beach, visit an arts and entertainments event called the Bayside festival on the waterfront or a large number of Maritime Mix Cultural Olympiad events.
Notes to editors
- Information, factsheets, images and footage (including B roll) about Weymouth & Portland can be found on the online Dorset Media Centre.
- Media visiting Weymouth and Portland this summer for the Olympic and Paralympic Games are invited to register for access to the free Dorset Media Centre at dmcregistration@westdorset-weymouth.gov.uk
- Further information about the projects mentioned in this news story can be found at the Dorset Newsroom.