London 2012 festival: reasons to be cheerful

Ruth Mackenzie's cultural programme offers something for everyone, particularly those who think that theatre isn't for them

When Les Commandos Percu's On the Night Shift explodes across the sky over Lake Windermere in Cumbria on 21 June as part of Lakes Alive, it should provide a fitting celebration for the opening day of the London 2012 Festival. But it is also a reminder of how much Ruth Mackenzie's London 2012 programme is asking questions around the nature of art itself, participatory activity in the arts, and who goes and why. I reckon she's done a good job.

The fact that a great many of the events are free is also crucial, but even paid events are attracting support. Yesterday it was reported that the festival has already sold half of its four million tickets, and even more... [via Guardian - Culture]