The quest is on to identify England's cultural icons in a new online project being launched in January 2006.
A Portrait of England, being launched on 9 January 2006, will gradually paint a virtual portrait of the country through an exploration of everything we cherish in our culture. ICONS has been commissioned by Culture Online, part of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Culture Minister, David Lammy will attend the launch at the Globe Theatre. One of the first 12 official ‘Icons of England’ to be announced is the humble cup of tea.
It is in good company because the others are: Stonehenge, Punch and Judy, the S.S. Empire Windrush, Holbein’s portrait of Henry VIII, the FA Cup, Alice in Wonderland, the Routemaster double-decker bus, the King James Bible, the Angel of the North, the Spitfire and Jerusalem.
ICONS will identify what makes England what it is in the 21st century. Hundreds more nominations from the public are expected and ‘waves’ of new “Icons of England” will be announced each quarter, as the online collection grows bigger and richer in content. Already, other ‘iconic’ food nominations include Roast Beef, Cornish Pasties, Rice ‘n Peas, Curry and a Pint of Beer.
“No-one can fail to respond to some of the icons that feature in this project, whether it’s Stonehenge, the London Eye or the great English cuppa,” said David Lammy MP. “ Who hasn’t ached for a proper cup of tea when they’ve been on an overseas holiday or yearned for their team to pick up the FA Cup at the end of the season? Icons are important to us because they evoke thoughts and emotions about how we feel about our place in society. The ICONS website helps us to explore how our response to icons has shaped our understanding of personal and national identity.”
People are being invited all over England, from every community, to nominate their favourite icons. They can also vote on other people’s nominations and share anecdotes, photographs and memories online. Each official ‘Icon of England’ will be fully probed to reveal its innermost secrets, so people exploring the website can delve deeper into the icons’ history, associations and the threads that connect it to our wider culture.
“ Icons are powerful and really switch people on. What sums up England more than a humble cup of tea? ,” said Jerry Doyle, Managing Director of Icons Online. “Though, of course, the irony is that many of our icons are not truly English at all! ICONS will become a rich tapestry and will grow into a work of art and a great educational resource in its own right. It is unique as an online collection because it can mix everyday things with cultural treasures and will draw new audiences to museums and galleries.”
There is a growing coalition of support including, the Tea Museum, National Trust, English Heritage, the Football Association, the Black Cultural Archives Museum, Age Concern, the National Portrait Gallery, the Jewish Museum, Mencap, Disabled Living Foundation, the British Empire & Commonwealth Museum, the Muslim Council for Great Britain, as well as museums and library networks in cities like Brighton & Hove, Birmingham, London, Gateshead, Manchester and Bristol.
Visit www.icons.org.uk to see more.
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