ABSTRACT
More than 100 years on since the 1906 ‘Consultative Conference on Arts, Letters and Sport’ that led to the establishment of Olympic Arts Competitions, the IOC maintains its commitment to ensuring the survival of the Olympic cultural programme as an event additional and complementary to the sports competitions. In 1993, this commitment led to the opening of a renovated and ambitious Olympic Museum in Lausanne, a venue that welcomes the display of arts and cultural elements related to sport and the Olympic Movement. Nevertheless, the ambiguous definition and variable nature of Olympic cultural programmes have limited the ability of local Games organisers and audiences to understand its function and purpose and question the extent to which it is integral to the Olympic Games celebration.
