The Olympic Games' Cultural Olympiad: Identity and management

This thesis examines the relationship between the identity, growth and development, and the management of the modern Olympic Games' Cultural Olympiad. Since the fine arts competitions first appeared at the modern Olympic Games in Stockholm in 1912, National Organizing Committees have struggled to appreciate or understand the role and significance of the cultural games and have either been unwilling or uncertain of how to integrate the arts with the sporting games. Despite the size, budget, success and national importance of recent Cultural Olympiads, it is one of the least known of international art festivals among both art world professionals and the general public. The thesis will analyze information collected mostly from original sources including interviews, International Olympic Committee minutes, IOC Cultural Committee minutes, Olympic Bulletin articles, Pierre de Coubertin's Memoirs, National Olympic Committee reports, research papers presented to the International Olympic Academy and newspaper articles.