Birmingham 2022 Games to be accompanied by a nationwide, £120m festival of creativity

The 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games will be accompanied by UK-wide festival celebrating "creativity and innovation".

The festival has been backed by £120m funding from government and the intention is to showcase the best of the UK's art, culture, heritage, design and technology sectors.

Preparations for the festival will be led by Martin Green CBE, the chief creative officer of Birmingham 2022. Green was head of ceremonies for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in London and the mastermind behind the hugely successful Hull UK City of Culture 2017 festival.

Green and his team have now begun working with each individual sector across the UK to develop a "vision which engages communities across the UK".

"The nationwide festival will give us a fantastic opportunity to champion all that is great about the UK," said culture secretary Nicky Morgan.

"It will be a tremendous showcase for our creativity and innovation, which will not only celebrate our values and identities but will also help attract new inward business and investment."

Martin Green added "As a passionate believer that art and culture have the power to bring people together, I am immensely proud to be working on the project to showcase and celebrate the cultural dynamism and distinctiveness of the UK."

Additional details on the festival will be made available "in due course".