About the Calendar

• 2012 will be an extraordinary year for London. More creative activity will be planned across the city due to the Games and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee than ever before. Visitor numbers will increase greatly and the eyes of the world will be firmly fixed on London.
• Therefore it's a year that needs greater advance planning to ensure that all planned activity can be realised safely, to ensure we present the best of our diverse cultural offer across the city and that we reinforce our position as the world city of culture.
• The Culture Diary will facilitate planning for 2012 across the industry. It will hold all artistic and cultural activities and events, of all scales across all cultural sectors.
• This is the first time that a diary of this size and scale has been attempted, especially this far in advance.
• To have access to The Culture Diary you need to be registered.
• Once registered you will be able to enter your event/s and search through the 2012 calendar to see what other events are planned.
• Although it may feel too soon to enter activity for 2012, it is important that you put in a marker for events that you are planning, even if they are not confirmed, and provide as much information as soon as you can. This is essential for planning and in order for us to recognise your activity and give your event the best chance of being included in any promotional activity.
• You will need to keep your entries regularly updated - the final date for entering information and to confirm your event details will be 31 March 2012.

The benefits of entering your information now could include:

1. Planning

   Information in the Diary will inform a major operational planning exercise to ensure that we can keep London working and moving whilst providing a celebratory atmosphere throughout the city. By entering your event ino The Culture Diary you are ensuring that your event has the best chance of being held successfully. All the events in The Culture Diary will be reviewed by the London Boroughs and London’s Public Services to ensure that the City has the capacity to support such a spectacular array of events. You should get your event details into the diary as soon as possible, answering as many questions as you can. Should there be a need to discuss your event with you, you will be contacted.

   Please do note the key date for inputting event details 31 March 2012, after which users will not be able to add or change event details.

   Entering your event into the diary does not constitute approval and normal planning processes apply.

   The Culture Diary also provides an opportunity for the cultural sector to identify joint campaigning and new partnerships, suitable event dates avoiding clashes and potential artistic collaborations.

2. Communications

   Information from the diary will inform a listings calendar throughout 2012 as well as a London wide festival that will complement Festival 2012. Information will be shared with Visit London for targeting tourism markets and the London Media Centre (which will house all unaccredited media for the Games) who will be looking for interesting cultural content and stories to cover.

   There is also an opportunity here for joint promotional campaigns within and between sectors. 2012 will be a packed year of culture and we want to use information in the calendar to ensure that there is a platform for visibility.

3. Programming

   Information will be shared with LOCOG and projects may be identified for Festival 2012 as well as the London wide festivities. The GLA will also look to identify gaps in the programme and work across the sectors to ensure that all industries have a platform where desired.

NB: The Culture Diary is owned and managed by the Greater London Authority. It is aimed across the breadth of the cultural industries that are planning cultural activities in London during 2012.