About

RELAYS at Watershed is Watershed’s contribution to the region wide RELAYS project.

RELAYS is an ambitious, innovative and flexible programme of linked cultural and sporting opportunities across the South West which marks one of the regions contributions to the forthcoming 2012 Olympiad in London. Watershed is one of three venues contributing cultural activity to the RELAYS celebrations.

Our aim here at Watershed over the coming years is to explore the connections and overlaps between the worlds of sport and culture and bring together audiences across these two worlds. This will be largely through screenings, events and festivals but also online through this website.

Initially they might not seem the most obvious of companions. The classic division is arty types go see art whilst, well, sporty types do sport. Well on researching this piece – and I confess upfront I tend towards the former camp of the sport v culture divide (unless its the sedentary style of snooker) – I came across this http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1069406/index.htm. A quite brilliant piece from 1955 by author William Faulkner writing about watching his first ice hockey match (Montreal v New York Rangers). Faulkner’s words invest an energy to the writing that somehow ocnveys the movement of the players. More up to date, last year we screened Douglas Gordon’s extraordinary film Zidane about the French football player. Gordon’s film brought a unique perspective to the player and the game which gave an insight beyond TV coverage as Faulkner’s brings more than straightforward commentary.

These worlds can compliment each other as they two cases illustrate and it is out intention to explore and celebrate the richness where sport and culture come together.

This website will be updated in a regular basis with news, facts and fixtures.

Mark Cosgrove, Head of Programme