'City-wide' ceremonies planned for 2012 Olympics
Saturday, 30 Aug 2008 16:17
London 2012 will not mimic Beijing, says Tessa Jowell
The London 2012 Olympics will not attempt to mimic the impressive Beijing opening and closing ceremonies, according to Olympics minister Tessa Jowell.
Rather than organising a central ceremony inside the Olympic Stadium in east London, the organisers are considering holding a number of events across the capital.
"We don't want to try to emulate Beijing," Ms Jowell said. "What we want is new ways of thinking about the opening ceremony.
"We want the whole of London to be involved, with different parts of London taking part in the ceremony. The London Games must be deeply democratic, with the city's citizens feeling they're intimately involved.
"I think what you will see is a very vivid sense of celebration right across the city at both the opening and closing ceremonies."
The minister told the Independent newspaper that the Beijing Olympics were admittedly impressive but stressed London 2012 could better the recently-concluded games in a number of areas.
"In terms of great organisation, fantastic facilities, and a welcoming attitude and pride among the people, Beijing was superb. But there are things we can and will do better," she claimed.
"I saw lots and lots of Chinese people standing outside stadiums, on the wrong part of a perimeter fence, as observers rather than participants. We must reverse that trend and make sure our Olympics are more accessible.
"I also want to minimise the number of empty seats in stadiums, which frustrate the public and keep them at a distance for no reason.
"And I want our volunteers to be trained better and given a more clearly defined role."