CCANW’s programme of exhibitions and activities focuses on games, including many local and traditional games, where cooperation is valued over competition. Delivered with the help of skilled artists, it will be fun but also address the more serious issues of social inclusion and community cohesion.

The first half of Games People Play (until September 2012), which will be developed with the close involvement of rural communities and many other partners from the Forestry Commission and Villages in Action to the British Museum, is focused on the cultural heritage of games to the end of the 1970s and the natural heritage of the forest.

CCANW engages a wide range of audiences with social and environmental issues through the Arts; it does what education through the arts does best - touching people’s imagination and creativity.

Commenting on the award, CCANW’s Director Clive Adams said: “We are thrilled to have received the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund. Few events seem to be being organised in Devon as part of the Cultural Olympiad. We want our project to be fun and hope that it will engage the whole community and broaden the appeal of the Olympics beyond sports enthusiasts.”

Nerys Watts, HLF’s Head of South West, said: “Our Heritage consists of the many different things from the past that we value and want to pass on to future generations, including the cultural traditions that enriched the everyday lives and leisure time of our forebears.  As we celebrate the London Olympics in 2012 the ‘Games People Play’ project will help to preserve and remind us of many local and international sports and pastimes from bygone years.”

Notes to editors
 
CCANW, an educational charity with a gallery, is the only organisation of its kind in the UK addressing urgent environmental issues through dedicated year-round themed programmes including arts exhibitions, workshops, events and activities that do not just explore and reveal existing problems and their causes, but also suggest viable and sustainable alternatives. CCANW is also a hub linking national and international arts, ecology and education networks, universities and professional bodies.

Haldon Forest Park is situated five miles south of Exeter, just off the A38 at Exeter Racecourse.

The 1400-hectare Park was developed by the Forestry Commission and includes a 20-mile infrastructure of safe, off-road trails for walking, cycling and horse-riding, as well a cycle hire, Go Ape forest adventure course, café, car park, toilet facilities.   

Further information

Please contact Chris Lewis, Marketing and Development Manager, Centre for Contemporary Art and the Natural World, Haldon Forest Park, Exeter, EX6 7XR, Tel: 01392 832 277 or c.lewis@ccanw.co.uk or visit the website: www.ccanw.co.uk