The Cultural Olympiad, part of London's plans for the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games will kick off on 26 September when arts organisations up and down the country will declare open house to the public.
London's National Theatre will be just one of the venues taking part and allow visitors behind the scenes to see the puppets from its show War Horse.
London 2012 Chairman Sebastian Coe announced the Cultural Olympiad programme at the National Theatre on London's South Bank on 4 September. As part of the opening weekend, Coe will take part in the Martin Creed sculpture Work 850 at Tate Britain. The artwork involves a runner sprinting along the length of the museum's Duveen Galleries every 30 seconds. Coe will partake as one of the runners.
The major projects planned for 2012 and described by Coe as "at an advanced yet flexible stage of planning" include a World Shakespeare Festival, which is to be spearheaded by the Royal Shakespeare Company. It will take place in London, Stratford-upon-Avon and Newcastle upon Tyne on 23 April 2012, Shakespeare's birthday.
A festival of carnivals will take place in five cities in 2012, aimed at enlivening the streets of London and other cities with parades, parties, communal picnics and street theatre.
And an initiative called Sounds will result in a national singing day and an event in July 2012 involving a weekend of free music along the Thames.
