BP, the Royal Opera House and The Olympic Museum in Lausanne have joined together to create a free and unique exhibition telling the Olympic story through the endeavours of ancient and modern Olympians.
The Olympic Journey: The Story of the Games will be staged at the Royal Opera House for the duration of the Olympic Games, starting on Saturday 28 July and running until Sunday 12 August. It will include unique artefacts, animation, film and audio from The Olympic Museum in Lausanne being shown in London for the only time and promises to be a highlight of the London 2012 Festival.
Visitors will be taken on a journey from ancient Greece , the original home of the Olympic Games, through the vision of Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the man behind the revival of the Games many centuries later. The experience will continue with the stories of some of the iconic Olympic athletes and moments of the last hundred years of Olympic history. On display will also be all the summer Olympic medals since 1896 and all the summer Olympic Torches since 1936. The Olympic Journey: The Story of the Games is being curated by The Olympic Museum in partnership with leading exhibition designers Hypsos.
“BP is a longstanding supporter of arts and culture in the UK , partnering with leading institutions for over 30 years,” said Peter Mather, BP’s Regional Vice President for Europe and Head of Country UK . “As an Official Partner of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and a Premier Partner of the Cultural Olympiad and London 2012 Festival, it is fitting for BP to build upon our strong relationship with the Royal Opera House to bring this new exhibition to London for the Games.
“Behind the great spectacle of the Olympic Games lie powerful human stories. The purpose of the exhibition is to inspire visitors by highlighting some of the remarkable athletes and tales from the rich history of the Games. It will be a free, fun and popular destination and we are delighted to be collaborating with The Olympic Museum to put on a once in a lifetime experience for visitors from all over the world at the London 2012 Olympic Games.”
“Arts and culture have an important role to play alongside the magnificent sporting competition of the London 2012 Olympic Games. The London 2012 Festival, the finale of the Cultural Olympiad, will be one of the finest of the Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Royal Opera House is delighted to be playing its part. We are looking forward to welcoming thousands of new visitors to the Royal Opera House in 2012,” added Tony Hall , Chair of the Cultural Olympiad Board and Chief Executive of the Royal Opera House.
Deborah Bull, Creative Director of the Royal Opera House, commented “We are delighted to be working with The Olympic Museum and BP to create this unique Olympic experience. The Olympic and Paralympic Games are an example of the best of human spirit and physical endeavour. The Games in our city offer a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the inspirational talent of the world’s greatest athletes, reminding us – like the artists who more usually perform on our stages – of the extraordinary achievements of which human beings are capable.”
“Exhibits from The Olympic Museum have been displayed in different Olympic host cities before, but this exhibition is particularly exciting: it is much more ambitious and will truly bring the Olympic spirit to London ,” said Francis Gabet, Director of The Olympic Museum.