Brit-ish – A celebration of national identity 

Brit-ish™ is a cultural engagement initiative by TEMPLO that celebrates diversity in Britain today. The initiative is a collaboration with The Saturday Club Trust as part of their masterclass series and will be exhibited at both the National Saturday Club Summer Show and UTOPIA: A Year of Imagination and Possibility at Somerset House.

Context
“In 2013 I was turned away from a border crossing in South America because officials refused to believe I am British despite the fact I was born in England and hold a British passport.”
– Pali Palavathanan, Founder & Creative Director of TEMPLO

This event inspired the studio to explore what it means to be identified as British and how to express our cultural diversity.

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TEMPLO began with the unique grid of the Union Jack and quickly developed a system that enabled the British flag to embrace the flags of all other nations.

The initiative was piloted by the The National Art&Design Saturday Club’s masterclasses and travelled to Victoria & Albert Museum, Sunderland Glass Centre and Sheffield Hallam University. These masterclasses allowed students ranging in age from 13 to 16 the chance to design their own bespoke Brit-ish™ flag.

Impact
To coincide with the EU Referendum, twenty of the flags were hung on the Stamp Stairs at Somerset House and at the Embankment Galleries from 20th June. Somerset House are also running further Brit-ish™ workshops as part of UTOPIA: A Year of Imagination and Possibility.

An exploration of what it means to be ‘British’ today.