Cultural Olympiads have been a traditional part of the Olympic Games since the inception of the games in 1912. Originally, the Cultural Olympiads awarded medals for art, architecture, music, painting, and other arts. Then, starting in 1952 it became a festival celebrating the local arts and cultural life of the Olympic host city and surrounding region. Today, the Cultural Olympiad delivers the official arts and culture component of the Games, led by the organizing committee of the games, in partnership with the Host City.
As Los Angeles prepares to welcome the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, DCA is spearheading the 2028 Cultural Program for the Olympic and Paralympic Games (2028 Cultural Program): the arts and cultural activities, projects and programming that provide opportunities to uplift the diversity of the City, build greater cultural equity and inclusion, stimulate cultural exchange, create and enhance youth arts education initiatives, bolster the arts sector economy, and expand capacity and extend legacy in the arts that will endure beyond the Olympic and Paralympic games. The 2028 Cultural Program will coordinate with, and is intended to complement, the efforts of the organizing committee, LA28, and the County of Los Angeles Department of Arts and Culture.
To accomplish these goals, DCA is committed to designing new and innovative global awareness opportunities that will increase capacity to produce local events, festivals, and cultural experiences in conjunction with the 2028 Games. DCA will work to continue to create smart, positive momentum, while also developing and enhancing partnerships with community and local arts and cultural organizations, artists, volunteers, local business, and others to activate neighborhoods across the city.
At DCA, we look forward to partnering with passionate individuals, community leaders, artists and organizations to help bring this extraordinary vision to life. DCA welcomes enthusiastic voices from individuals, groups, organizations, businesses, corporations in the community to support a comprehensive plan for the 2028 Cultural Program.
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During the Paris 2024 Cultural Olympiad and through the passing of the torch to Los Angeles to host the 2028 Olympic games, DCA co-organized as part of an unprecedented collaborative initiative between the 2024 host city and the 2028 host city, Los Angeles. View documentation for each of the collaborative projects below.
Le Mural: Documentary Short Commissioned by DCA
Le Mural, directed and written by Barbara Bingley-Verseman, captures the collaborative journey of French artist Kekli and American artist Katbing, who is also the filmmakers twin sister, as they come together to produce a monumental outdoor mural. The mural as well as the film are commissioned through DCA’s Public-space Activation Fund grant program, celebrates the shared enthusiasm between the Paris24 and LA28 Olympic Games. With humor and warmth, the film explores the creative process, showcasing the challenges and triumphs they face along the way. Viewers are introduced to a colorful cast of characters, including local art enthusiasts (and critics), community organizations, and supportive friends who help bring the mural to life. Through their interactions, the film highlights the power of art to bridge cultures and foster connections, celebrating the joyous spirit of collaboration.
Presented by Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, Community Partners, Outfest and the Los Angeles LGBT Center
Featuring artists Kekli and Katbing Filmed, directed and written by Barbara Bingley-Verseman Edited by Josh Beavers Translated by Jérémi Doucet Music from Family Cash and Motion Array
Queer Sports & Joyous Expression
Thursday, September 26, from 6 to 8:30pm
Renberg Theatre1125 North McCadden Place Los Angeles, CA 90028
The City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs and Outfest presented a premiere screening of Le Mural followed by a panel conversation celebrating the many colors of queer identity, sports, and cultural expression.
A second panel featured queer athletes and sports sponsors in a discussion about the power of representation by those who have paved the way for today’s spectrum of Olympians and out professional athletes.
Catch the Mic: Paris to L.A.
The finale of the Paris 2024 Cultural Olympiad and launch of the L.A. 2028 Cultural Olympiad, featuring poets in Paris and Los Angeles.
To celebrate the finale of the Paris 2024 Cultural Olympiad, DCA organized the Paris 2024 Poetic Games Collaboration. Program partner Beyond Baroque joined the Paris University Club to organize two months of activities for the City of Paris called the Poetic Games. Nearly 50 Los Angeles-based poets will participated in a cultural handover from the City of Paris to the City of Los Angeles, host of the 2028 Olympics. Eight Los Angeles poets traveled to Paris to perform in the finale of the Poetic Games on Saturday, September 7. These include Steve Connell, Shandela Contreras, Chinaka Aziza Hodge, Uchechi Kalu, Edward Mabrey, Steven Reigns, Lynne Thompson, and Sarah Yanni.
Additionally, 28 Los Angeles. poets will perform “Art + Sports” poems, commissioned by the City of Los Angeles, at Catch the Mic: Paris to Los Angeles, on Saturday, September 7, from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. at the Mark Taper Auditorium, Los Angeles Central Library. L.A. poets to perform Cath the Mic include Ashley August, bridgette bianca, Michelle Bitting, Cynthia Alessandra Briano, Shonda Buchanan (MC), hamsa fae, Katie Gomez, Mason Granger, Sonia Guiñansaca, Matthew Cuban Hernandez, Sean Hill, Mona Jean, Aryeh-Or S Katz, Gina Loring, Gabriela Garcia Medina, Monique Mitchell, Nikki Ochoa, Monica Palacios, Christian Perfas, Karyn Peyton, Rhys Langston Podell, Linda Ravenswood, Angelina Sáenz, Mimi Tempestt, jimmy vega, Brian Sonia-Wallace, Pam Ward, Yazmin Monet Watkins.
These projects are part of DCA’s innovative Public-space Activation Fund grant program with support of Community Partners. Additional event support provided by LA County Arts + Culture and Los Angeles Public Library.
Pulsations LA: From Leimert Park to Paris – Live
Each year, on June 21, we celebrate Make Music Day (Fête de la Musique). Pulsations LA is part of a global livestream concert event as part of the Paris 2024 Cultural Olympiad.
The Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, LA Commons, and Make Music LA present a free, outdoor concert event featuring performances from Cultural Treasures of South LA including Kinnara Taiko, poet S. Pearl Sharp, Dwight Trible, and The Fernando Pullum Community Arts Center Jazz Ensemble.
Click + to Learn more about the DCA Grants Public-space Activation Fund Cultural Olympiad Program
PARIS 2024 – LOS ANGELES 2028: Olympic Poster Competition
To celebrate the Paris Olympic 2024 Games and prepare for 2028 host of Olympic and Paralympic Games, the City of Paris and the County of Los Angeles Department of Arts and Culture co-facilitated a poster design competition for students from the Ecole Professionnelle Supérieure d’Arts Graphiques de Paris (EPSAA), Otis College of Art and Design, California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), and ArtCenter College of Design in Los Angeles.
The 24 poster-design selections illustrate and celebrate the strong bond between Paris and Los Angeles, their cultural richness, and the values that bind them over the Atlantic. The exhibition, sponsored by the Department of Cultural Affairs, is on display at City Hall within the Henry P. Rios Bridge Gallery, through August 22, 2024.
We would like to extend our thanks to the students of EPSAA, Otis, CalArts, and ArtCenter, for their contributions and creativity, and to the City of Paris and County of Los Angeles Department of Arts and Culture for their facilitation of the poster design competition.
This project is part of a cultural cooperation between the two Olympic cities, Paris and Los Angeles, in partnership with Los Angeles County and the Seine-Saint-Denis region. This project was conceptualized from a learning exchange and partnership managed by the World Cities Cultural Forum, and sponsored by Bloomberg International.
Header image: Salomé Lemoine
DCA Opportunities for Artists, Arts Organizations and Businesses