Life of Guangzhou - GAGOC Solicits Designs for Opening and Closing Ceremonies

On February 26, 2008, the collecting activity for the creative design phase for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 16th Asian Games was officially launched in Guangzhou. The act symbolizes the beginning of the creative and planning stages of the ceremonies.

According to the Guangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee (referred to as GAGOC), the cultural positioning of the opening and closing ceremonies of the Guangzhou Asian Games is to focus on the culture of Asia and China with extensive attention being placed on important cultural elements of South China.

Mr. Xu Ruisheng, Guangzhou Vice Mayor and Executive Deputy Secretary General of GAGOC (middle) delivers a speech.

Solicitation and collection of the creative design proposals was launched on February 26, 2008 and will end on July 31, 2008. Participants must deliver their work to the organizing committee before the July 31, 2008 deadline. Experts will be invited and gathered by the committee to select the work which, in their estimation, best expresses the theme and positioning goals of the Games. The winner will be publicized during the month of October, 2008. The organization or individual, whose work is selected will win a prize of RMB 150,000 and will be awarded a commemorative certificate. The creators of the winning design would also, hopefully, become the core creative and production team for development of the final design.

The opening and closing ceremonies of the Guangzhou 2010 Asian Games will be held at the Guangzhou Olympic Sports Center on November 12, and November 27, 2010 respectively. Any interested natural persons, legal persons or organizations in line with the requirements of the guidelines and rules of the Creative Designs for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 2010 Asian Game are elegible to participate and submit their proposals. Those who are not citizens, legal persons, or organizations of the People’s Republic of China should form a team with Chinese citizens, legal persons or organizations in order to participate.

The designs submitted must abide by the requirements related to the opening and closing ceremonies of the Games as specified in the OCA Constitution & Rules and Host City Contract. The proposals shall be prominent in theme, distinct in characteristics, rich in significance, embodying the features of China, the style of Guangdong Province, and the distinctive manner of Guangzhou.

Proposals should also be in line with the concept of “Thrilling Games, Harmonious Asia” and illustrate the theme of “Peace” and “Development”. They must also meet the demand to spread the Olympic spirit and create the festival atmosphere of happiness and harmony. In terms of artistic expression, proposals should be innovative in form, showcasing cultural significance and with the application of creative high-tech visual effects.

The design must also take technical feasibility into consideration, and proposals must also abide by the principle of presenting the Asian Games in a thrifty way and within budget guidelines. All work submitted by participants must be produced and bound according to the specifications included in the invitation letter. Along with the bound version of the proposal, each participant must also submit an e-version of the design on CD-ROM. For detailed submission information please log onto the official website of the Guangzhou Asian Games (http://www.gz2010ag.org).

The Deputy Executive Secretary General of GAGOC, Vice-mayor of Guangzhou, Xu Ruisheng, attended the press conference and, in his speech, noted that the solicitation and collection of the proposals and creative designs for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou is an important event in the preparation process of the Games. He reinforced the idea that the designs should illustrate the civilization of China as well as the uniqueness of South China culture from a distinctive and new perspective, combining all elements to forge an unforgettable feast of sports and culture with the familiar and symbolic cultural tokens of South China.

The Deputy Secretary General of GAGOC and representative of the Guangzhou Municipal Government, Gu Shiyang, hosted the press conference. The Deputy Director of Ceremonies and the Cultural Events Department, Vice-director of the Culture Bureau of Guangzhou, He Jiqing introduced details of the collection activities for the proposals.

GAGOC extends invitations to people from all walks of life, hoping that, with their talent and passion, they will actively participate in the development and presentation of innovative and creative designs for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games.