24 July 2012

The real Olympic opening ceremony?

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Ask when the London 2012 Olympic Games will begin, and most people would no doubt say Friday night, thinking of the Opening Ceremony in the Olympic Stadium in Stratford.

That’s when Danny Boyle’s three-hour spectacular will attempt to both entertain the world and to tell the story of what makes us British.

The show will be watched by hundreds of millions. But what the opening ceremony won’t, in fact, do is start the Olympics.

London’s 2012 Games will have kicked off 52 hours earlier and 160 miles away, at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff at 4pm on Wednesday. British Future went along to experience the atmosphere and find out how people felt about being there.

The honour of opening the Olympics fell to the women footballers of Great Britain and New Zealand, as they began their bid for gold on Wednesday afternoon.

British Future has been asking 2012: What’s Our Story? since our January launch, talking to people about their hopes and fears, exploring how far we have an inclusive pride that we all want to share, and examining the plural identities that help to explain how we think about who we are.

Watch our video from the Cardiff event, below.

 

Read more of our articles on the Olympics and national identity:

Olympic games is not an Anglocentric affair

Our Island Story

Humour is great part of British Olympics

Olympic bosses should not let mad branding rules hit Games fever

Fans at Olympics say good chance for “everyone to come together”

Olympic torch journey has touched many hearts

Hopes and Fears

 

Or watch our Olympic interviews and videos:

British Future director Sunder Katwala at the very first Olympic event of 2012

British Future at the Olympics’ first day

British Future interviews crowd at first match of Olympic Games

British Future interview with football fans at Olympic Games match in Cardiff

 

 

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