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The English Project
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About The English Project The English Project aims to establish a world-class attraction in Winchester, England, that will enable visitors to explore and participate - both physically and virtually - in the global evolution of English, from a mixed tongue of three tribes to the shared speech of two billion people through a variety of media. There will also be an ambitious educational outreach programme and a major research and development function. The goal is to open the visitor attraction in the spring of 2012 as part of the London Olympics cultural programme. Its Mission is straightforward. It is to deepen people’s understanding and knowledge of the English language, its history and continuing development so that all English speakers everywhere can better appreciate, use and enjoy it. It will include all forms of English to reflect the amazing variety and power and adaptability of the language - from the street and workplace to science and advertising. There will be a core exhibition tracking the broad development of the language over the past 1500 years across the globe but it will be supplemented constantly by temporary exhibitions focused on special aspects and applications of English in, for example, pop music and science, law and love. The English Project will also put a strong emphasis on interactivity so that visitors can contribute their own version of the language or summon up a wide range of expert presentations and resources - and even recreate great moments in the language - from the archives. The Visitors Centre The English Project will be the first place of its kind in the English-speaking world to create a world class visitor centre - EPIC, the English Project International Centre - dedicated to the history and current development of the English language. EPIC will offer a wide variety of ways of discovering and investigating the language both through use of the latest technology and also by deploying live interpretation and a range of other media. Imagine a place where you can rove at will across time and the continents dropping in on the English language at key stages in its development and hearing some of the great users of the language speaking direct to you via our extensive archives or recreated in the form of speaking holograms. One will be able to hear how the language has evolved and track one's personal part in its story. EPIC will be interactive and adaptable offering fun and entertainment - visitors will also be invited to be exhibitors - but equally providing a place for serious enquiry and learning. It will be constantly changing to reflect new themes and new usages in the language. The Online Community The English Project’s physical presence in Winchester will be amplified globally by the On-Line Community, a state-of- the-art website which will make make available to a worldwide audience both the English Project's own deep resources and access to a wide range of archive material from its national and international partners. The Online Community will develop a distinctive approach to engaging its online community internactively with developments in the English language. Educational Outreach The Education Outreach activities will be central to the mission of the English Project. They will stimulate educational work and provide services and resources to teachers and learners of all types and ages (including those attending language schools). In doing this the Education Project will adopt innovatory approaches to the way that support can be given to learners - whether visiting the English Project in person or virtually - in order that the resources of the language can be better understood, enjoyed and used. Research and Development The quality of the English Project will be underwritten by a powerful research and development function which will aim to draw on the work of scholars from around the world. It promises to create a new kind of English Project Research Observatory to track changes to the most dynamic language on the planet as they happen. We will compile a living language archive to which all visitors will be able to contribute. Trustees The English Project is managed as a charitable company limited by guarantee. There are currently six trustees. Julian Chisholm, originator of the idea, is an economist who trained as an accountant with Price Waterhouse & Co before moving to BP where he spent seventeen years. He subsequently worked with the charity WaterAid and taught Economics and Business Studies. Edward Fennell is a journalist and writer. He is a regular contributor to the UK national press as well as specialist journals in the fields of law, business, the professions and vocational education and development. Dominic Hiscock has had a career in retailing. He has a strong commitment to community affairs and is both a long-standing councillor on Winchester City Council and a school governor. He has Masters qualifications in both Business Administration and Social Sciences. Dr Bill Lucas is a best-selling author who has also founded and led two national organisations, Learning through Landscapes and the Campaign for Learning. He is currently Chairman of the UK’s Talent Foundation and a non-executive director of The Live Group plc. Professor Christopher Mulvey is Emeritus Professor of English at the University of Winchester and is the recipient of awards from the Arts and Humanities Council, the British Academy, and the University of Virginia. He was President of the Collegium for African American Research from 2003 to 2007 and has numerous books to his credit. He is Managing Editor of the Winchester University Press. Evelyn Thurlby had a successful business career in both Canada and the UK and went on to be the first chief executive of the Eden Project in Cornwall. She has advised on the development of many leading visitor attractions and now runs her own consultancy Visitor Focus. In addition the trustees have benefited enormously from advice provided by Professor Barbara Yorke from the University of Winchester and Paul Hodgkinson who has extensive experience in the advertising and communication industry. Both are members of the Steering Committee of the English Project. The English Project is being underwritten in its intellectual integrity by the University of Winchester. Supporters The English Project has won the support of a wide range of distinguished individuals and regional, national and international bodies. This support includes the firm endorsement of David Crystal OBE, the world’s leading expert on the history of the English language. It also has the active encouragement of the English Speaking Union, the British Council, the BBC and the British Library together with Winchester City Council, Hampshire County Council and the University of Winchester. The English Project also acknowledges the contribution made by lawyers, Beachcroft LLP and communication consultants, spada. 
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