Ahead of the Game was an initiative led by West Sussex County Council and West Sussex Arts Partnership which helped West Sussex make the most of the London 2012 Games by ensuring the county played its full part in a successful 2012 celebration.

Ahead of the Game resulted in:
• More people taking part in physical activity and sport
• More involvement in cultural activities
• Benefits for tourism, business and skills development
• More opportunities for young people
• Increased international links

The Ahead of the Game Cultural Programme
The Ahead of the Game cultural programme was developed and presented in local communities. It paralleled the national Cultural Olympiad with a high level of involvement of young people and international partnerships.

The four year programme was co-ordinated by the West Sussex Arts Partnership, alongside the West Sussex Arts Service and each of the District and Borough Councils in West Sussex, and kicked off on Olympic Handover day in 2008. The programme culminated with a county-wide summer festival to celebrate the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The festival included a spectrum of cultural events and activities across the county, including:

• Whispering Woods: Singing in a woodland at night for a promenade audience
• Blue Touch Paper Carnival: A pioneering disability-led carnival creating costumes and floats with international carnival artists
• The Seed: Theatre performances across the Great Gardens of Sussex and a worldwide online quest to solve a hundred year mystery
• Dromos Festival: A travelling, pop-up, multi-artform festival created by young people for villages and urban neighbourhoods in West Sussex

View my website http://www.westsussex-aheadofthegame.com/