Olympic Foundation for Culture and Heritage

“Olympism is a philosophy of life, exalting and combining in a balanced whole the qualities of body, will and mind. Blending sport with culture and education, Olympism seeks to create a way of life...

(Olympic Charter – Fundamental Principle 1)

The Olympic Foundation for Culture and Heritage (OFCH) drives the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s cultural and values-based educational activities. Dedicated to the international promotion and dissemination of Olympism, the OFCH links sport, culture, art, history and education.

The Olympic Foundation for Culture and Heritage includes the IOC Heritage Unit; the IOC Olympic Studies Centre; The Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland; and the International Cultural Affairs Unit.

Latest News Go to News

Culture and heritage 28 Nov 2022
Olympian Artists invited to join programme ahead of selection for Paris 2024

Tokyo 2020 18 Nov 2022
”Side B” of the Tokyo 2020 Official Film selected for Rotterdam Film Festival

Culture and heritage 27 Oct 2022
Over 1.5 million visitors expected to visit the members of the Olympic Museum Network in 2022

Culture and heritage 07 Oct 2022
40 years of the Olympic Studies Centre: From a small library to a global resource centre

Culture and heritage 27 Aug 2022
Neeraj Chopra gifts Tokyo 2020 gold-medal-winning javelin to The Olympic Museum

IOC News 25 Jul 2022
Publications from all previous Olympic Games in France now digitised by the Olympic Studies Centre

Culture and heritage 21 Jul 2022
Chasing Tokyo documentary on Olympics.com follows Team GB’s epic Tokyo 2020 sailing journey

Tokyo 2020 26 May 2022
Official Film of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 premieres at the Festival de Cannes

Tokyo 2020 05 May 2022
Tokyo 2020 Official Film selected for the Festival de Cannes

IOC News 08 Apr 2022
Works from “Olympism Made Visible” to be presented at international art photography fair in Italy

Culture and heritage 17 Mar 2022
“Riding the Olympic Wave” at The Olympic Museum

Culture and heritage 20 Feb 2022
Beijing 2022 Official Film director Lu Chuan says a feeling of power, passion and positivity is coming together

The Olympic Museum

The Olympic Museum in Lausanne (Switzerland) is at the heart of Olympic culture and heritage. The key storyteller of the Olympic idea, the Museum is not just about the collections, but also a journey of discovery of the Olympic Movement, and its essential contribution to society.

The Olympic Studies Centre

Olympic studies centre

The IOC Olympic Studies Centre is the prime source of Olympic knowledge. Its mission is to share this knowledge by providing information, facilitating access to its unique archives and library, enabling research and promoting dialogue between the academic community and the Olympic Movement.

Olympic Heritage

The IOC’s patrimonial collections are managed by the Heritage Unit. This includes the acquisition, preservation, restoration, documentation and study of more than 90,000 artefacts; 650,000 photographs; 45,000 hours of videos; 8,800 hours of sound documents; and 1.5km of archives.

Arts & Culture

Arts and culture have long been part of the Olympic programme. The OFCH International Cultural Affairs Unit works in close collaboration with a multitude of partners and cultural players within the Olympic Movement and beyond. It leads or supports the production of arts and culture programmes during Games time and between editions of the Games.

Olympic Agora

First staged at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, the Olympic Agora is a unique cultural platform created by the OFCH to promote Olympic culture and values among global audiences. Inspired by the Ancient Greek tradition of a social hub, the Agora is a space for cross-cultural dialogue and discovery at the intersection of sport, art, culture and education.

Culture & Education Hub

Culture & Education Hub

The OFCH Culture & Education Hub is the first point of contact, facilitating Olympic culture and education initiatives around the world. Every year, the Hub assists the organisers of hundreds of global projects with the development and production of exhibitions, displays, educational material and events. Do you need assistance with the design, content or implementation of your programme?

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