“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 is the heart of the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s cultural and educational activities, it is one of the driving forces behind the international promotion and dissemination of Olympism. It manages all forms of IOC’s heritage. It fosters creation and dissemination of Olympic knowledge. It supports and produces wide-reaching and innovative programmes within the Olympic Movement and beyond, embracing different forms of expression. It coordinates all Olympic players and communities related to culture and education.
The Olympic Foundation for Culture & Heritage includes IOC Heritage Management, the Olympic Studies Centre, The Olympic Museum and International Programmes for Arts, Culture and Education.
Heritage
The IOC’s patrimonial collections are managed by the Heritage Unit. This includes the acquisition, preservation, restoration, documentation, study and securing the availability for internal and external partners of 90,000 artefacts, 650,000 photographs, 45,000 hours of videos, 8,800 hours of sound documents and 1.5km of archives.
The Olympic Museum
The Olympic Museum is a destination and a content creator, as product are distributed by the cultural hub.
The Olympic Museum in Lausanne (Switzerland) (TOM) is the essential storyteller for the Olympic idea. The Museum is not about a collection, it is about an idea: Olympism. Its vocation is to let people discover the Olympic Movement, witnessing its essential contribution to society, and to transmit the Olympic values beyond the celebration of the Games and competitions.
History, culture, design, technology and sociology are some of the themes addressed beyond sport, in turn reflecting the richness and diversity of Olympism.
Arts and Culture
Arts and culture have long been part of the Olympic programme. Today the IOC, working in close collaboration with a multitude of partners a multitude of cultural players within the Olympic Movement and beyond, leads or supports the production of arts and culture programmes of during Games time and between the editions of the Games.
The Olympic Studies Centre
The IOC Olympic Studies Centre is the world source of reference for Olympic knowledge. Its mission is to share this knowledge with professionals and researchers by providing information, giving access to its unique archive and library collections, enabling research and promoting dialogue between the academic community and the Olympic Movement.
The Studies Centre collaborates with a network of academics and university-based Olympic Studies Centres around the globe and funds Olympic-related research via two grant programmes.
International Cultural affairs
The International Programmes develop, produce and implement strategies, initiatives and projects on Olympic art, culture and education in collaboration with international partners in both the Olympic family and beyond. The programmes aim to offer a multitude of possibilities to interpret and reinterpret the links between sport and culture at large, which are fundamental to the Olympic Movement.
Olympic Agora
The Olympic Agora is a project led by the IOC, which is based in Lausanne, Switzerland, and refers to one of the recommendations of Olympic Agenda 2020, the strategic roadmap for the future of the Olympic Movement, with the aim of further blending sport and culture. It will be a unique destination, offering fresh perspectives on the Olympic values through an exciting variety of artistic, cultural and educational activities and exhibitions before, during and after the Olympic Games taking place in Tokyo this summer.
Culture & Education Hub
The Culture & Education Hub is the first point of contact to facilitate Olympic Culture and Education initiatives.
Our mission is to raise awareness of Olympic history and values by providing support and inspiration to cultural and educational institutions to develop and put in place their cultural and educational projects.
Do you need any assistance with the ideas, design, content or implementation of your programme?
Communities
The Communities within the Olympic Foundation for Culture and Heritage consist of the Olympic Museum Network (OMN), National Olympic Commitees Culture and Education Champions’ Network (NOCs) and eight Recognised Organisations.
