Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

Plymouth city centre is taking on an Olympic theme during the Beijing games thanks to live coverage on the new Big Screen.

The high-tech screen in The Piazza will beam live pictures from the opening ceremony from 12.45pm on Friday 8 August.

Live Olympic coverage and highlights from the day's action will be shown every day during the games from 8am until 8pm.

The Big Screen will become a focal point

Plymouth joined the celebrations by hosting an Olympic Sports Day in The Piazza on Friday 8 August. Visitors were able to try their hand at a variety of different sports and get advice from local sports clubs.

As well as showing medal winning performances from Beijing, the screen will play a key role in celebrations leading up to the London 2012 Olympics.

Plymouth is one of eight UK cities hosting a giant Olympic screen, where local people will be encouraged to come together to celebrate big sporting and cultural events. It will remain in place up to and beyond the London 2012 Games.

As well as putting Plymouth on the national map during the massive build-up to the 2012 Olympics, the screen will become a focal point for open air entertainment.

The coup for Plymouth is the result of a partnership between the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games, the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ, Plymouth City Council and Plymouth City Centre Company.

At 30 square metres, the Plymouth big screen is a third larger than the temporary screen used in previous years during Wimbledon fortnight.

Watching sport on the Big Screen

It's the largest of the eight screens being installed in towns and cities as part of the Olympic Live Sites programme.

"This a is huge coup for Plymouth as the only location south-west of Bristol to have a screen," Μύexplained David Draffan, managing director of the Plymouth City Centre Company.

"It also gives us the potential to use the screen during the Plymouth Summer Festival and to build on the previous success of the Wimbledon screen.

"You will be pleased to know this is actually a gift from the sponsors of the London Olympics.

"London 2012 have been very keen to make sure that local communities can engage in the Olympics. So in our region they have been looking for a site for a screen so that the public can really get involved."

Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ South West is responsible for scheduling what's shown on the Big Screen with an emphasis on locally produced content.

"People in the city centre will be able to access news and local information right there in front of them," explained screen producer Kevin Heathorn.

"As well as the Olympics and other big sporting and cultural events, the screen will show Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ news every 15 minutes plus regular sport and weather updates.

"Live events taking place in The Piazza will also be relayed onto the screen alongside a selection of films made by local people.

"We really want the local community to get involved by submitting their own productions."

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