The ATHLETIC AESTHETIC: YOUR GUIDE TO THE 2024 OLYMPICS - A Lecture presented by The Arts Society Ealing

From July to September 2024 Paris will host the Olympic and Paralympic Games. But whilst most onlookers will focus on sport, art and design will also play a part, as they have since the games began at Olympia nearly three thousand years ago. Greek art is replete with representations of athletes on vases, plates and bronzes. Every four years modern day hosts unveil dazzling new architecture, in the form of stadia, arenas, velodromes and swimming pools. The athletes themselves act as torch bearers for ever changing ideals of physical perfection. From nudity to Nike, from sand to synthetics, the Olympic story offers art lovers pure gold.

Our lecturer Simon Inglis specialises in the architecture and heritage of sport and recreation. Since 2004 he has edited the Played in Britain series for English Heritage. Simon's themes are architecture, design, heritage and popular culture. He has curated exhibitions for the Building Centre and the British Council, been a regular contributor to radio and television, has travelled and lectured extensively, and written a number of books. Two were shortlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year, while another, on British football grounds, was chosen by journalist Frank Keating as the best sports book of the 20th century. A recent highpoint in his work for English Heritage was the listing of a 1970s skatepark in Essex, a world first that made the 10 o'clock news.

This talk is at 7:30pm on Monday 24th June. Please note the change of venue this month.

This month's lecture will be held at: ST. MARY'S CHURCH, PERIVALE LANE, UB6 8SS and NOT our usual location of St. Barnabas Church in Pitshanger Lane.

Visitors are welcome to attend at £8 per lecture (£3 for students); payment can be made in cash or by card on the evening.