The Olympic Games and Cultural Policy

This book explores how cultural policies are reflected in the design, management and promotion of the Olympic Games. Garcia examines the concept and evolution of cultural policies throughout the recent history of the Olympic Games and then specifically evaluates the cultural program of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. She argues that the cultural relevance of a major event is highly dependent on the consistency of the policy choices informing its cultural dimensions, and demonstrates how such events frequently fail to leave long-term cultural legacies, and are often unable to provide an experience that fully engages and represents the host community, due to their over-emphasis on an economic rather than a social and cultural agenda.

Beatriz Garcia is widely regarded as the world expert on culture at the Olympics and as a renowned expert on culture-led regeneration. As Director of Impacts 08, the major evaluation of the Liverpool European Capital of Culture, and Head of Research at the Institute of Cultural Capital, Dr. Garcia is at the forefront of culture-led urban regeneration research and invited regularly by governments and policy makers around the world to speak about her work. She is a member of the International Olympic Committee Postgraduate Grant Selection Committee and has been appointed by the London Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games to conduct the 2012 Cultural Olympiad Legacy Evaluation.