Cornish sporting treasures on a world stage
Kernocopia was a pioneering partnership between Cornwall’s sporting, cultural, arts and heritage communities to celebrate the 2012 London Olympics. It was the first time these cultural forms had worked together with a singular goal – to interpret Cornwall’s sporting stories and roll them out on a global stage.
Funded by Cornwall Council, CDC, Eden Project and Feast, the project was Cornwall’s official submission to the Cultural Olympiad, but being Cornish, it was offbeat. Golden Tree Productions commissioned a team of artists to work with community groups and bring 25 Cornish sporting stories to life. This experiment saw the cross-pollination of wresting, ruby, sailing and rowing with film, song, dance, poetry and theatre.
From Tamar to Land’s End, workshops, residencies and performances took place, along with a schools programme, to help young people learn about their sporting heritage. Kernocopia culminated in a theatrical pop-up performance that took place in venues across the South West during the summer of 2012.
An estimated 6.5k people enjoyed opening celebrations in Weymouth, with the vessel in procession viewed by an enormous 140k people.’
