The announcement was made at the Grand Hall of the Visual Arts School of Parque Lage in Rio where London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe, Secretary of State for Culture of Rio de Janeiro Adriana Rattes and director of the London 2012 Festival Ruth Mackenzie were in attendance.

Coe explained that the Brazilian elements will be integrated into the 12 week cultural celebration, which will run from June 21 until September 9, with the London 2012 Festival presenting the best of contemporary Brazilian culture and creativity.

In addition, it will create opportunities for Brazilian artists to collaborate and create relationships with established and emerging British artists.

"The brilliance of these artists' work for the London 2012 Festival illustrates the depth of the shared vision of London 2012 and Rio 2016 to build strong relationships through culture," Coe said.

"People around the UK, in Brazil and right across the world will be able to enjoy the results of this vision during the London 2012 Festival, in the build-up to Rio 2016 and beyond."

One of the key Brazil sites during London 2012 will be Casa Brazil at Somerset House in the capital, which will be the space for the promotion of the country, the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the activity of the Brazilian Olympic Committee (BOC).

Casa Brasil will include an exhibition of contemporary Brazilian art and design, curated by Rafael Cardoso and Daniela Thomas and designed by Felipe Tassara.

"The London 2012 Festival and Rio Occupation London – which the State Culture Secretariat has programmed in partnership with London 2012 – will strengthen Rio de Janeiro's international cultural relations, promote a dynamic, attractive and contemporary image of the State of Rio and create a platform on the world stage for the best work of artists emerging in Rio, bringing to life the Olympic spirit through our artists and creating a legacy for Rio 2016," said Rattes.

Another of the major projects will be Rio Occupation London which will see 30 artists from Rio collaborate with London artists in the Rio Occupation London, a cultural occupation by Rio in London, an initiative of the Secretary of State for Culture of Rio de Janeiro, in partnership with the London 2012 Festival.

The Occupation's advisors include Batman Zavarez, Beatriz Caiado, Cesar Augusto, Eva Doris Rosenthal, Luisa Marciern Marcio Botner, Nayse Lopes, Pedro Seiler and Tatiana Leite.

The artistic directors of the Occupation will be Christiane Jatahy and Gringo Cardia with executive production by Paul Heritage and People's Palace Projects.

The list of artists already confirmed includes musicians, visual artists, playwrights, choreographers, graffiti artists, film makers, poets, photographers, DJs and actors.


They will all appear live at Battersea Arts Centre (BAC), a leading arts facility, with expertise in artistic residencies and the infrastructure for cultural production, together with a thousand-seat theatre, studios and workshop spaces.

The British artists will collaborate with the Rio artists in the residency and will be selected by important institutions, already partners in the project, such as the Victoria and Albert Museum, Serious, the Roundhouse, the Southbank Centre, Somerset House, the Barbican and the British Council.

In these same spaces the collaborative works by the artists will be presented.

Also on show during the Occupation will be a "panorama" giving an insight into the work of Rio artists who have influenced the Occupation artists, and information on Rio culture and the Occupation events will be made available widely.

Furthermore, there will be a Film Festival with both feature and short films representative of contemporary Rio cinema and individual and group performances at the BAC and other locations throughout the city.

Finally there will be a Closing Festival in a 42,000 square metre space near the Olympic Park, a three-day celebration of the best of what has been created and presented in the city throughout the project, a grand celebration of Rio de Janeiro.

"Thanks to Adriana Rattes and Emilio Kalil and our partners in the UK, the London 2012 Festival provides a great platform to showcase Brazil's cultural and creative talent, delighting and inspiring audiences in London, across the UK and around the world," Mackenzie added.

"These commissions start collaborations between artists from the Brazil and the UK which will grow over the years to 2016."

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