The Art of Englishness

Antony Gormley’s towering “Angel of the North”; the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square; Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen’s “Bottle of Notes” in Middlesbrough – all are works that have helped put “public art” on the UK’s must-see art map. Once associated with bronze statues of Victorian worthies, “public art” increasingly brings to mind the sort of inventive works you might encounter in Tate Modern.
Tomorrow sees the launch of Made in England, a public art scheme established to encourage the nation to celebrate St George’s Day. The scheme, founded by Arts Council England and BBC English Regions, echoes the traditions of song and creativity with which people celebrate St Patrick’s, St David’s and St Andrew’s days and aims to stimulate the public’s interest through 14 events – from interactive dramas, poetry and song, to sound and light sculptures – that will continue to unfold throughout the year.
Mark Robinson, executive director of Arts Council England North East, says: “It’s important that art plays a role in defining our sense of place, and our civic life. Made in England takes art to all kinds of places in quirky and moving ways to explore the very notion of Englishness.”
In a tribute to John Betjeman’s “Metroland”, Cambridge theatre company Hoipolloi will start the day’s events by treating commuters on the 10.58 train from Luton to St Pancras International to The Full English – a performance combining such archetypes of Englishness as tea and tennis rackets, cakes and crumpets. On arrival at St Pancras the passengers will be greeted by a 100-strong choir singing a modern-day anthem for England, composed and conducted by the young English composer Sam Dunkley.
Other Made In England participants include the inmates of Reading Prison, who, more than 100 years after Oscar Wilde wrote his Ballad of Reading Gaol, have written new ballads, to be broadcast tomorrow on BBC Radio Berkshire, and assorted residents of Hampshire, Oxfordshire and Wiltshire, whose tales of local life will be projected on to the roof of Salisbury Cathedral to provide an alternative guided tour to these southern counties. The condensed tales will be published in a book with copies kept by the Cathedral and the Bodleian Library in Oxford. Hattie Ellis, one of the writers commissioned to transcribe the tales, sees the project as a “great chance to make art connected very directly to a place”. “I am a big believer that we are not one long Identi-kit high street but local distinctiveness is everywhere,” she continues. “To have the stories told on the roof of the cathedral feels very live and relevant.”
The motivation behind many public art initiatives is accessibility; it is estimated that the “Angel of the North” is viewed by 90,000 people a day and settings such as train stations, parks and town squares can reach a more diverse audience than museums or art galleries. But who decides what goes where? Shouldn’t the public have a say in public art? The furore generated by “The Meeting Place”, Paul Day’s £500,000 bronze sculpture of a couple embracing, which stands in the refurbished St Pancras Station, illustrates the strength of feeling that projects can arouse.
“Big Art Project”, an initiative from The Art Fund, Arts Council England and Channel 4, tackles the issue of consultation head-on. In 2005 people across the UK were invited to nominate sites they felt would benefit from an art installation. From these nominations, seven sites were selected: Beckton, Belfast, Burnley, Cardigan, the Isle of Mull, Sheffield and St Helens. Today saw the completion of the St Helens piece, “Dream”, a 20m high sculpture conceived by artist Jaume Plensa and chosen by local ex-miners. Fabricated in pre-cast concrete, the sculpture of a child’s head overlooks the M62 and is intended as a gateway feature for Merseyside and Greater Manchester.
Next month Channel 4 will broadcast a four-part documentary series on the Big Art Project, which will look at the impact that public art has on communities. Jan Younghusband, commissioning editor for arts and performance at Channel 4, says the series will demonstrate how engaged people are with art. “People really believe that art can make a positive difference to their communities,” she says. “Now we’re deep in recession I hope that the public’s passion for art doesn’t suffer and that investment in culture continues.”

“The Big Art Project” starts on Channel 4 on Sunday May 10, www.channel4.com/bigart, www.artscouncil.org.uk