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Giant screen unveiled in Portsmouth for Beijiing Games and Olympic Handover
London 2012 today marked four years to the Olympic Games Opening Ceremony by announcing the roll out of a giant permanent screen and handover event in Guildhall Square, Portsmouth.
Funded by the National Lottery through the Olympic Lottery Distributor (OLD) and London 2012 partners, Lloyds TSB and BT, people of Portsmouth will be able to witness all the action from the Beijing Games and the ‘Handover’ moment - on 24 August, as well as major occasions leading up to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and beyond.
On Handover day, Guildhall Square, Portsmouth will become a hub of activity; residents will be able to meet local sporting heroes, who will be on hand to share their Olympic hopes and experiences with visitors to the event. There will also include a mass sing-a-long as part of the 'Sing The Nation' programme, where local choir will lead 15 minutes of collective singing, performing three songs: a simple choice to get everyone warmed up; local song and a national song which is being arranged by National Youth Choirs.
Residents will be able to watch the Beijing Olympic Games Closing ceremony on the big screen, at which London Mayor Boris Johnson will be symbolically handed the Olympic flag, officially marking the start of London’s tenure as Summer Host city. The Visa London 2012 party live from the Mall will also be shown, featuring performances from multi-million-selling artists including The Feeling, Il Divo, Katherine Jenkins, Russell Watson and McFly.
The Portsmouth screen will form part of the UK’s largest network of screens known as ‘Live Sites’, with over 30 other Live Site screens around the country, capturing action from Beijing and London’s Handover celebration. The screens will also have interactive capabilities which will enable cities to link to each other as the action happens. The Live Site screens will represent a major legacy from London 2012 with the fixed locations plan to operate not just for the four years up to 2012, but for many years afterwards. They will carry a range of local information, news, cultural, sporting, education and community events and content. Moving forward, the screens will also have interactive capabilities which will enable cities to link to each other.
London 2012 Chair Sebastian Coe said: "At approximately 2.30pm UK time, on the afternoon of August 24th the Olympic Flag will pass from the Mayor of Beijing to the Mayor of London in the Olympic Stadium in Beijing and the eyes of the world will turn to us. Just as the nation celebrated London winning the bid, we invite the nation to celebrate the start of our four year journey to 2012 – in whatever way they wish. This could be one of the Live Sites, a fantastic example of a project created because of London 2012, but one with a life well beyond the Games."
Chair of OLD Janet Paraskeva said: "The Olympic and Paralympic Games are one of the greatest of all international events and these new Live Sites in the heart of some of our major cities will create a focal point for communities to come together and enjoy the events. We are pleased that National Lottery funding will help extend the network of Live Sites in time for the handover from Beijing to London. As well as providing a way for the whole of the UK to join in with London 2012, Lottery money is also creating a community resource in cities with state-of-the-art technology around which people can gather to celebrate a wide range of events."
Richard Jensen, Lord Mayor of Portsmouth, said: "We’re proud that Portsmouth has been chosen to have a permanent screen erected in the city centre. As well as allowing us to support our local athletes in the Games and a focal point for local celebrations of the moment that London becomes Host City, it will also provide the local community with a facility which can be used for sporting and cultural events for years to come. The celebration event in Portsmouth is a great opportunity for local residents to take part in the UK’s handover celebrations and I urge local people to come down on the 24th to celebrate this historic occasion."
Katie Sexton, local sporting hero commented: "The Olympic Handover is a truly momentous occasion and I’m delighted to be involved in helping the local people of Portsmouth join together to celebrate this exciting moment."
Colin Grannell, Executive Vice-President, Partnership Marketing at Visa Europe, said: "As a global supporter of the Olympic Games for more than two decades we at Visa are proud to sponsor an historic and memorable event for people to celebrate the return of the Games to London after sixty years."
Suzi Williams, BT Group Marketing Director, said: "BT is a company with communication at its heart. Through our support of the Live Sites we're delighted that communities across the UK will be able to experience this momentous event as we all start looking forward to 2012."
Sally Hancock, London 2012 Partnership Director, Lloyds TSB said "As the first national partner of London 2012 we are proud to be bringing the Live Site experience to the communities we serve, showcasing the excitement and action that we all expect from the Games."
These Games will be the first ever 24/7 Olympics. BBC Television will broadcast more than 2,750 hours of coverage, giving viewers access to live coverage, the latest news updates regardless of the time of day and where they are, through the BBC's extensive TV, radio, online, mobile and BBC iPlayer services.
Date : 25 July 2008
