Our Forward Plan 3

The Cultural Olympiad

2012 provides an exciting opportunity for historic vessels operating in the UK to demonstrate their role in the cultural life of this island nation. Many ships were built on the Thames in shipyards close to where the Olympics are to be hosted. This  legacy lives on in vessels in the National Historic Fleet such as SS Robin and HMS Warrior. In London and across the country as a whole, historic ships have the potential to present the history of these islands, to take part in pageants and celebrations, and to be practical modes of transport - what better way to approach the Olympic Park than by the Thames, carried on a traditional paddle steamer or steamship.  

National Historic Ships shall promote the imaginative use of such vessels by:

  • Advising the London Olympics Committee, the committee for the Cultural Olympiad, government, and regional authorities on the potential for using historic vessels in support of the Olympics.
  • Working with umbrella organisations, associations and individual ship trusts and owners to realise the potential of historic ships to make a unique contribution to the Olympics programme within and outside London.

Getting our message across

As a small organisation with a UK-wide remit, we are conscious of the importance of communicating with the historic ships sector, government, other bodies, and the wider public in order to raise the profile of these significant heritage assets.

We will do this by:

  • Developing a new, responsive website in 2009 aimed at providing accurate, up-to-date information to vessel owners, those interested in historic vessels, users seeking to access information for formal and informal learning and the general public.
  • Promoting a web-based newsletter which will also available in hard copy
  • Broadening the audience receiving our annual report
  • Publishing information (electronically and in hard copy) on where historic vessels can be found in the UK and how to access them.
  • Organising seminars and conferences on key issues for historic ships