Ian McEwan, J. Meade Falkner, Ben Osborne, Thomas Hardy, Lulu Quinn, Gregory Maqoma.  All recognised for their inspired creativity, all creatively inspired by the Jurassic Coast during their artistic careers. As England's first and only natural World Heritage Site celebrating the 10^th anniversary of its inscription on UNESCO's World Heritage List on 13^th December, the Jurassic Coast is not only a stunning 95 mile walk through 185 million years of the earth's history; it is a place where outstanding earth sciences have inspired artists to creative dramatic, beautiful, and thought provoking works of art.

Earth sciences and art are at the heart of hundreds of creative pieces currently in development along this stretch of the south coast. Some are in preparation for 2012 when these two, seemingly polarised subjects, will be truly celebrated as part of the Cultural Olympiad. The Maritime Mix - London 2012 Cultural Olympiad by Sea, a creative celebration across Weymouth & Portland and the Jurassic Coast (27 events across 18 weeks - 3^rd May - 9^th September 2012) will include a range of cultural events, responding to the natural geology of the area and the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Jurassic Coast Earth Festival, Exploratory Laboratory , Desert Crossings, Battle for the Winds and Coastal Voices will use visual arts, modern technology, music, dance, song and outdoor events as vehicles to demonstrate the power of connecting earth science and arts.

The Jurassic Coast has not only inspired the project Coastal Voices but has also enabled local communities to work with international artists as a way of linking the arts and earth sciences through the concept of ‘the voice'. Working with artists; Billy Bragg, Sonia Slany, Howard Moody, John K. Miles, John Surman and Marc Yeats the project aspires to encourage and stimulate coastal communities in the South West to connect with their ‘place', to examine and ‘voice' the unique relationship with geology and forces which shape our environment. Four new works / arrangements have been commissioned for four areas of the site and created in partnership with communities representing these areas. Elements of these works will feature in the Oceania stage in River of Music in London 2012 and at the opening ceremonies of the Olympic sailing events in Weymouth.

Sian Ede (author of Art & Science (2008); and initiator of the Gulbenkian Galapagos Artists' Residency) commented recently on the Jurassic Coast at a recent Creative Coast event,

"This is, almost literally, a ground-breaking project, given its aim of revealing to the public the astonishing geology and vast time-frames that form the basis for the entire history and culture of the Jurassic Coast. It is ground-breaking in its involvement of artists, enabling them to work with scientists and envisage fresh views of the world. This should result in the creation of artworks that are both arresting and enjoyable, stimulating the public to see an already loved landscape with new eyes. And the project is unique because it is an element of the first robust arts strategy to be created by a natural World Heritage Site, one that will be bound to set an example in other parts of the world."