CEN Ship

By Rukhsana Yasmin

The Olympics are coming to town. Pride, passion, anxiety, dread, most East Londoners have an opinion on the Olympics, I have yet to meet one person who feels total apathy towards it (distinguished politicians take note).
Here at CEN Magazine, we are looking forward to seeing what the cultural agenda will be for the Olympics and how London 2012 aims to deliver this to us in the East. The cultural programme, we are told, is inspired by the words of John Donne, English metaphysical poet:
“No man is an island entire of it self;
Everyman is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.”
John Donne (1571 – 1613)

In this spirit, London 2012 proposes a journey of exploration and exchange, beginning in 2008 at the close of the Beijing Olympics with a full-size ocean-going clipper starting its four year journey around the world, and its arrival in the Thames heralding the start of the Olympic games in 2012. The Olympic Friendship, as it is to be known, will “be crewed by young people from all over the world, carrying a ‘cultural cargo’ representing the best of contemporary Britain,” according to London 2012.

Aside from the obvious quips: ‘four years to travel the world? Isn’t it quicker to walk?’ and ‘four years on a ship travelling the world? How do I get on it?’ there is the notion of the ‘best of contemporary Britain’; who gets to decide? The ship is also to be crewed by ‘young people’ even though Britain is a nation of oldies, and again who decided the Olympics should be a celebration of youth only?

The vision of Baron Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Movement, saw the Olympic Games as a unique opportunity for different cultures to learn from each other, and it is this overriding philosophy that remains the theme for all Olympic cultural programmes. Beijing, hosts of the 2008 Olympics, is carrying forward its Three Represents: Green, Hi-Tech, and Cultural Olympics. An annual Olympic Cultural Festival is being hosted in Beijing until 2008, promoting world peace and enhancing friendship. Athens’ cultural goal was to stress the importance of place, time and words, highlighting the world’s civilisations and their contributions to global culture. Each nation is implicitly promoting its own culture worldwide, and London will be the centre of the world’s attention in 2012, an opportunity for the UK to explore its place in the modern world and perhaps forge a more definitive identity in the process. According to Jude Kelly, Artistic Director at London 2012, “this is a real chance for us to use London 2012 as an opportunity to establish, strengthen, develop and learn from our relationships with our international neighbours.”

In today’s ‘multicultural’ Britain where race and immigration never stray far from the headlines, it will be interesting to see how Britain defines itself. It won’t be without controversy, for sure.

November 17 sees the official launch of this eclectic and some may say eccentric contribution to East London’s growing cultural and creative sector. There is a difference; of course, CEN Magazine is your platform, where you get to tell the world (okay maybe just East London) about the amazing, innovative, inspiring, exciting (and every other ‘ing you may find in the Oxford Dictionary) that you have to offer.

You can find out the specifics of the programme on our website, along with a registration form to obtain your free invitation to this exclusive invitation only event (www.cenmagazine.com/launch) but just to give the lazier amongst you extra motivation to click on that mouse here’s the gist of it (along with the science).
Inspired by the Olympics Friendship whereby a ship is to sail the world ‘carrying a cultural cargo representing the best of contemporary Britain,’ (taken from www.london2012.com) CEN Magazine is hosting our very own ‘CEN-Ship’ where we will be presenting the best in contemporary East London culture for one night of un-missable entertainment.

The first annual CEN Magazine Awards will be presented to emerging East London artists in the fields of Music, Film, Design and Innovation, Fashion, Visual Arts and Theatre, with support from East London’s creative and artistic establishments which include: Rhythm Factory, Genesis Cinema, Film London East, VET, Tower Hamlets Film Office, CIDA, Mirrorstudios, Seven Seven

Gallery and Theatre Royal Stratford East.
Festivities will begin with live music and a fashion show. The lower deck will be transformed into a film den for those film buffs amongst us who may want a little quiet time; the screening programme will consist exclusively of East London gems.

Personally I won’t be looking for a quiet time, I’ll be bopping away (to every ones embarrassment except my own) to classy tunes played by Cutmaster Max and Leo the Amateur from 93 feet east who’ll be Dj-ing well into the early hours of the morning with their diverse set; ‘five decades of risky disco, hip hop bangers, monsters of rock and stone cold party certs’. Call it what you want, we’re having a party, and one that you can’t afford to miss.

For free tickets: www.cenmagazine.com/launch