Family fun and films at London 2012 Live Sites across the UK for the London 2012 Open Weekend

London 2012 is inviting people across the UK to gather at the London 2012 Live Sites this weekend (Friday 23 – Saturday 25 July) for family entertainment to celebrate Open Weekend supported by BP - a series of sporting, arts and cultural challenges set up across the UK to lead the nation into the two year countdown to the start of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Live Sites in Middlesbrough, Norwich, Portsmouth, Swansea, Manchester, Dover and Woolwich will provide temporary seating for the screening of the film Cool Runnings. The hit 1993 family comedy film directed by Jon Turteltaub is loosely based on the true story of the Jamaica national bobsled team's debut at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta and stars John Candy as Irv Blitzer, the retired bobsledder and coach of the Jamaican bobsledders.

In addition to the film screening, Live Sites across the UK are hosting family activities over Open Weekend. In Plymouth audiences will be treated with a screening of the 1992 Baz Luhrmann Australian romantic comedy film Strictly Ballroom, with dance tutors taking the audience through an interactive dance class prior to the screening. In Norwich there will be an ‘Urban Triathlon’ presented by City College Norwich, allowing people to try out sports such as kayaking, cycling and rowing on Friday and on Sunday there will be film screenings of Norfolk arts and culture projects, an afternoon of dancing and singing followed by the Cool Runnings screening at 4.30pm.

In Portsmouth there will be an interactive day at the Live Site on Friday where a selection of interactive games will be played by the public on the Big Screen followed by a Big Screen Quiz. Saturday is Challenge Day where a range of sport and dance challenges will run throughout the afternoon, with the screening of Cool Runnings at 2.00pm. In Dover there will be a screening of Mama Mia! On Saturday at 2.00pm, with the screening of Cool Runnings on Sunday at 2.00pm.

Over all the Live Sites across the UK throughout Open Weekend a selection images from five hundred photographs taken of the water’s edge by the public on the Summer Solstice 2010, the 21st of June between sunrise and sunset, are being screened as part of the project Waters Edge. The project is part of the Cultural Olympiad campaign Discovering Places, and is a UK wide public participation project connecting art and culture to the local environment. More details can be found at www.hightideuk.org

London 2012 Chair Sebastian Coe said: 'Open Weekend will lead the nation into the two year countdown to the start of the London 2012 Games with new personal bests being set right across the UK. I hope families will enjoy the entertainment throughout the weekend.

'Open Weekend 2010 is another opportunity for thousands of people to join in with the London 2012 Games.'

The Live Sites, which are funded by £3.4mil by the National Lottery, will host hundreds of other Open Weekend challenges across the UK – ranging from learning a new dance or piece of music an hour before it is performed, to talent contests, learning stonemasonry skills to create your own sundial to 3 kilometre relay races through unusual places, sports days and guided bicycle rides, there is an opportunity for everyone to challenge themselves to discover something new or take an interest to another level. Full listings can be found at www.london2012.com/openweekend

For more information contact: www.london2012.com

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