• Olympic Ceremonies
  • Opening and Closing Ceremonies
  • Montréal 1976
  • Calgary 1988
• Olympic Cultural Activities and Events
  • Montréal 1976
  • Calgary 1988
  • Vancouver 2010
• Canadian Olympic Heritage

Olympic CulturalActivities and Events

The combination of sports and the arts at the Olympic Games dates back to ancient Greece. Artistic performances were an integral part of the Olympic Games. The Greeks believed in the importance of achieving a balance between the labour of the body and the spirit. In order to revive this tradition, in 1906 Pierre de Coubertin suggested that art competitions be held that related to the sporting ideal. These took place between 1912 and 1948.

Art competitions relating to the sporting ideal...

However, the International Olympic Committee took another direction in 1952, by deciding that the organizing committees of the Games should be free to organize their own artistic programs. Artistic expression is now displayed through exhibitions and performances rather than only within a competitive framework.

Cultural programs that included art exhibitions became common. Some organizing cities took an international approach, by presenting artistic activities from the entire world, while others focused more on national works, as was the case at the Montréal and Calgary Games. Although the cultural program of the Calgary Games included several large foreign productions, the national approach made it possible to promote the diversity and achievements of Canadians. It remains to be seen what kind of cultural program the organizers of the Vancouver 2010 Games will choose to present.

Further Research