14 January 2008
Enjoy England today launches Culture08 - a new campaign encouraging Brits to explore the myriad of cultural events and festivals in 2008.
Enjoy England today launches Culture08 - a new campaign encouraging Brits toexplore the myriad of cultural events and festivals in 2008.
Rejoice in Liverpool’s special status as European Capital of Culture. Celebrate the handover from Beijing to London for the 2012 Olympics. Revel in this year’s dazzling array of music festivals, with stalwarts such as Glastonbury and the Isle of Wight Festival, plus new kid on the block Camp Bestival makes a scene for the first time in Dorset.
Culture08 is a year-long, £250,000 campaign launched in partnership with England’s Northwest. Supporting Liverpool’s year of culture, the Northwest’s sub-regions are all pushing the boat out in 2008, withCheshire’s Year of Gardens,Cumbria and the Lake District’s Year of Adventure,Taste Lancashire 08 – The Year of Food & Drink andManchester World Sport 08.
The new Culture08 microsite www.enjoyengland.com/culture is the only place Brits need to go online this year for inspiration on events, shows and festivals. Visitors can create their own journey planner and travel itinerary with Google maps and the ‘My events’ button. Not sure what to do this weekend? Click on the ‘Inspire Me’ button and let Enjoy England choose for you by randomly selecting an event.
The site is divided into six themed sections:
England. Celebrate it.
Festivals and Celebrations – join the party with unique events like the Olympic Torch Relay in London this April, food festivals, maritime events and regattas, children’s festivals, birthdaysand anniversaries such as the Angel of the North's tenth birthday in February.
England. See it.
Art, Architecture and Antiques – discover this year’s blockbuster exhibitions and new spaces such as the stunning Firstsite arts centre in Colchester. There’s a special focus on China in 2008 with China Now, the largest festival of Chinese culture ever to take place in the UK.
England. Hear it.
Music and Dance -come along to a musical celebration whether it’s classical, rock, pop, reggaeton, bhangra or grime that gets your foot tapping. Hear it all in England’s music capital as Sir Paul McCartney plays Liverpool Sound in June; the city goes carnival-tastic at the Brouhaha carnival procession in August and Sir Simon Rattle returns to the Philharmonic Hall in Liverpool in September and October.
England. Know it.
Traditional and English – get to know England a little better, with its quirks and eccentricities and the customs that make it famous throughout the world. Never eaten strawberries at Wimbledon or donned a fancy hat at Ascot? Perhaps 2008 is your time to discover England’s ‘green and pleasant land’.
England. Watch it.
Literature, Film and Theatre - watch dramas, comedies and musical stories unfold in one of our great theatres. See history come to life at the historical reenactment of the Battle of Hastings, or head to Farnborough Air Show to see dramatic displays for its 60th anniversary.
England. Experience it.
Something different – Sample England’s eccentric side, from snail racing to mystery plays; from town criers to the World Marbles Championships – the list goes on. Experience is everything, as the new trend for learning holidays shows – try kite-flying, creative writing or even stand-up comedy at festivals around the country.
For more culture than you can shake a stick at, visit www.enjoyengland.com/culture
ENDS
For further press information on Enjoy England and Culture08 please contact:
Tess Sullivan / Rae White
Enjoy England Press Office
Tel: 020 8563 3351/3378 / Email: tess.sullivan@visitbritain.org / rae.white@visitbritain.org
Notes to editors:
· Culture08 is launched in association with the Northwest Development Agency (NWDA) www.visitenglandsnorthwest.com
o For more information on Liverpool European Capital of Culture 2008, visit www.liverpool08.com
o For more information on Cheshire’s Year of Gardens, visit www.yearofgardens08.com
o For more information on Cumbria and the Lake District’s Year ofAdventure visit www.golakes.co.uk/adventure
o For more information on Taste Lancashire 08 visit www.tastelancashire08.com
o For more information on ManchesterWorld Sport 08 visit www.manchesterworldsport08.com
· VisitBritain is responsible for marketing Britain worldwide and for developing England’s visitor economy. Enjoy England builds the value of tourism in England by working in partnership to develop and promote the destination. For more information, visit www.visitbritain.com/corporate.
· VisitBritain produces a monthly electronic newsletter for UK media entitled AngloFILE. To register for, or to view previous editions go to www.enjoyengland.com/presscentre