Culture and regeneration going hand in hand at the Olympic Park

The Olympic Park Legacy Company today appointed BAM Nuttall to deliver crucial conversion work at the Olympic Park after this Summer's Games.

The OPLC is calling the new phase 'Clear, Connect, Complete' which will be funded out of the £292m already set aside in the Olympic budget.

BAM Nuttall has won two separate contracts to deliver £70m worth of the work in the North Park and South Park areas of the site.

The construction work is expected to take up to 18 months, although the OPLC has structured its phasing so that sections of the Park will be opened to the public from summer 2013.

It goes without saying that not everything important that is going on in East London involves bricks and mortar.

Obviously a major driver to attracting tenants to Westfield's offices, Lend Lease's International Quarter and residents to the new housing in the Olympic Park will be the first rate new facilities.

But also crucial is the cultural offering and this is being shown off through the launch of the new Stratford Rising 12 month programme of cultural and artistic events for 2012.

The launch event occurred yesterday with one of the key themes being the link between culture, the arts and regeneration in Stratford.

It should be pointed out that the cultural sector in Stratford already has an overall turnover of £9m and attracts more than 400,000 visitors to performances and shows.

But it is safe to say that the area's artistic scene will have seen a year like this one with millions of eyes focused on East London like never before

Here are few photos from the Stratford Rising launch event courtesy of Andrew Baker Photography.

From left to right - Eddie Nestor, BBC Radio London (and who started his acting career at Theatre Royal Stratford East), Cllr Richard Crawford, Stratford councillor, Moira Sinclair, London Executive Director of Arts Council England, John Burton, Director of Development for Westfield and Chair of Stratford Renaissance Partnership, Sir Robin Wales, Mayor of Newham, Munira Mirza, Mayor of London's Advisor on Youth and Culture, and Kerry Michael, Chair of Stratford Rising and Artistic Director, Theatre Royal Stratford East.

Dancers: Amy Gomez, Carly Blackburn and Edward Mitton, and Choreographer: Rosie Whitney Fish from East London Dance who are presenting a performance called Dear Lido