As we approach celebrations for the handover of the Olympic flag from Beijing to London and the start of the UK's Cultural Olympiad, it's time for Youth Music to update everyone on our own plan and vision for 2012.

Many thanks to everyone who responded to our publication Filling the Air with Music which we published in summer 2007. We have listened to your ideas and been in many meetings with other national cultural organisations and with the cultural and education teams at London 2012 - the organisation responsible for managing everything to do with the Olympics, Paralympics and the Cultural Olympiad.

The commitment to the Cultural Olympiad was a decisive factor in London winning the games and was designed to restore the Olympic Games to the original ideals espoused by the creator of the modern games Pierre de Coubertin - a festival of mind, body and spirit.

The London 2012 Cultural Olympiad is for everyone. It aims to:

• Celebrate London and the whole of the UK welcoming the world - our unique internationalism, cultural diversity, sharing and understanding
• Inspire and involve young people
• Generate a positive legacy

The Cultural Olympiad will focus on the following themes:

• Bringing together culture and sport
• Encouraging participation
• Animating public spaces
• Using culture and sport to raise issues of well being
• Honouring and sharing the values of the Olympic and Paralympic games
• Ignite cutting edge collaborations and innovation
• Enhancing the learning, skills and personal development of young people

The winning bid outlined ten specific cultural projects taking place over the four years from 2008 and with the express aims of engaging the young, encouraging participation, celebrating our unique cultural diversity and delivering a legacy. The ten cultural projects include Shakespeare Now, Festival of Carnivals, Film and Video Nation, Artists Taking the Lead and a music project, previously called 2012 Sounds but now being re-titled.