Are You Game? - February - July 2012 at the Institut français

From 27 July to 12 August, all eyes will be on London and the 30^th edition of the modern Olympic Games. Through several seminars, debates, talks and screenings, the Institut français proudly takes up its role as heir to Baron Pierre de Coubertin. We will host a series of sports-themed cultural events in South Kensington between February and July 2012.

In these globalised times, is there any sense in upholding the spirit of de Coubertin and the modern Olympic Games? During the course of this inaugural conference, our speakers will join us in analysing what remains of that Olympic spirit, and the many varied factors that shape what it means today, such as sporting dominance and national identity, doping, TV rights and betting.

To debate the issue, we will be calling on sports persons, political figures and the leaders of the Olympic movement today to give their views, such as Antoine de Navacelle (Board member of the International Pierre de Coubertin Committee (CIPC) in Lausanne), Denis Masseglia (President of the Comité National Olympique et Sportif Français), Jean Durry (Sport historian), Dr Dikaia Chatziefstathiou (Reader in Olympic Studies & the Social Analysis of Sport, University of Canterbury), Stéphan Caron (100m freestyle swimming bronze medal winner at the summer Olympics in 1988 and 1992, and current Chief Commercial Director, GE Capital),.

Thursday 16 February 2.00pm - 4.00pm | £12, conc. £8, students £5 in English and French | early reservations recommended

Information & booking: T. 020 7871 3515 www.institut-francais.org.uk

Venue: Institut français du Royaume-Uni 17 Queensberry Place, South Kensington, London SW7 2DT

Other dates for your diaries include:
 15 March: Too Much Money in Sports?
 12 April: Are Hooligans Offside?
 9 May: Embedded
 14 June: Writing About Sport, Is It Really Writing?

See presentation of the season ’Are You Game?’

See also Ready Steady Doc! 16 - 23 February http://www.europeandocfestival.org.uk/