THIS weekend sees the regional launch of the Cultural Olympiad, a return to the original vision of the founder of the Modern Olympic Movement, a vision which places culture at the heart of the Olympic and Paralympic Games and which was inspired by William Penny Brookes’s Wenlock Olympian Games of 1890.

A spectacular sound and light show tomorrow will open a four-year celebration of culture and creativity across the region, with Herefordshire’s own 2FaCeD DaNcE Company taking to the main stage alongside MOBO-award-winning artist Soweto Kinch; 100 young dancers and music from Orchestra of the Swan, Black Voices and Bombay Baja Brass Band.

“2FaCeD is a fantastic company, and clearly a dance force of the future,” says Paul Kaynes who, as West Midlands Creative Programmer for 2012, is responsible for the development of the West Midlands Cultural Olympiad programme. “One of the major themes of the Cultural Olympiad is about dance and they are such a fantastic example – the fact that one of the UK’s best hip-hop companies is based in rural Herefordshire challenges people’s perceptions.”

Also representing Herefordshire will be the Courtyard’s Youth Theatre Company, which will be performing scenes from Shakespeare.

“The Youth Theatre is another very dynamic, forward-looking group from Herefordshire,” says Paul.

The ticketed event at Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron in Ironbridge, hosted by Advantage West Midlands, the West Midlands Leadership Group for 2012 and the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, marks the start of an ‘Open Weekend’ featuring some 40 events across Herefordshire, Worcestershire and the West Midlands.

In Herefordshire, Moccas Park will open its rare Norman Deer Park. There will be free entry for people to wander around the grounds from 2pm to 4pm on Saturday.

For more details about the scheme, call Moccas Park on 01743 282005 or email caroline.evans@naturalengland.org.uk “The Cultural Olympiad is about making culture and creativity a key part of the Olympic and Paralympic experience,” says Paul, “something that hasn’t been done on quite this scale, across the whole country, ever before.”