Don’t miss your chance to be part of the definitive cultural guide to 2012. A one-stop shop showing everything that is going on in a brilliant year. Register your event at www.theculturediary.com by 31 December 2010

If you are planning a cultural event in 2012, the Mayor of London wants to hear from you now. In the first of its kind, a huge online calendar The Culture Diary is being created to showcase every cultural event taking place across London in one of the most exciting years in the capital’s long history – from large scale spectaculars to community based activities.

With less than 600 days until 2012 begins, organisations all over the city are already planning a vast array of events for a momentous year. Many will be linked to the Cultural Olympiad, some taking place during or around the Olympic and Paralympic Games themselves.

The Mayor is creating The Culture Diary in conjunction with Visit London to capture as much information as possible about what will be happening in the capital from 1 January to 31 December 2012. Any organisation or individual planning a cultural event or programme in London during the year can upload their details at no cost.

It will create a unique online resource and registered organisations will be able to:

· Add information about the events they are planning for 2012, whether specifically for the year or part of an ongoing programme

· Eventually use the diary to see what else is planned for the year, identifying collaborative opportunities, including artistic content, as well as potential clashes

· Identify other opportunities such as joint marketing and promotional campaigns

When The Culture Diary goes ‘live’ in the run up to 1 January 2012, it means anyone planning a visit to the capital, as well as Londoners, will have a single source of information about the enormous array of cultural and creative activity throughout the city. The aim is for it to be a citywide listings diary and the definitive programme for London in 2012. It will also help with citywide planning and inform the campaign to promote London as the world’s leading centre for culture and creativity.

Ruth Mackenzie, Director Cultural Olympiad, commented: ‘Huge congratulations to the team at the Mayor’s Office for this – an essential planning tool for all cultural and arts organisations planning events for 2012, which will become an invaluable legacy – everybody working in culture after 2012 will marvel at how we ever managed without it.’

Iwona Blazwick, OBE, Director of the Whitechapel Gallery and Chair of the London Cultural Strategy Group, said: ‘The Culture Diary is a fantastic new initiative in the Olympic spirit of celebration and collaboration. For 2012 the best in art, dance, design, fashion, film, music and theatre will be on offer across London. Venues range from the pavement and the pub, to landmark museums, concert halls, opera houses and theatres. The Culture Diary is a globally accessible resource that tells visitors to London, what’s happening when and where across a cultural sector that is second to none.’

Organisations can upload details of planned events already at www.theculturediary.com. The closing date for entries is the end of this year, 31 December 2010.