Made in England

Hampshire has many literary connections - not least as the birthplace of two eminent writers Jane Austen and Charles Dickens.

Indeed, Jane wrote all her novels while in the county. Hampshire has also been home to other authors - Charles Kingsley to name but one. Sherlock Holmes creator, Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle lived in Portsmouth - infact he was the Pompey football team's first goalkeeper!

The Isle of Wight Festival stage

Visual arts are also well represented locally - John Everett Millais was born here and the county’s countryside and cities have all been painted by well-known English artists L.S. Lowry and J.M.W. Turner.

Musically, both Hampshire and the Isle of Wight play host to several festivals - including Bestival and the Isle of Wight Festival.

Gosport's Easter Festival is one of the highlights of the folk music calendar and the Winchester Festival regularly attracts the cream of the UK's literary and theatrical talent.

Film director, the late Anthony Minghella was born on the Isle of Wight to an Italian immigrant family.

Anthony Minghella

He sold ice cream at their family business in Ryde and went on to become the country's finest screen writers and directors. in 1996 he won an Oscar for directing The English Patient and was also Oscar-nominated for writing the screenplay for 1999's The Talented Mr Ripley.

Before his sudden death in March 2008, he always stayed true to his Isle of Wight roots. In his Oscar speech he had famously delighted everyone on the Isle of Wight by saying: "This has been a triumph for the Isle of Wight." 

He was made the Isle of Wight's first honorary Freeman the following year. In 2006 he opened Bournemouth Screen Academy which provides master classes, summer schools and online learning programmes to develop the south's future screen talent.

Other arts connections worth mentioning are Art Asia, which promotes South Asian music, dance, drama and art, the John Hansard Gallery and the Nuffield Theatre.

Made in England

Made in England is a joint partnership between BBC English Regions and Arts Council England to bring audiences and artists together in unique collaborations to provide exciting new cultural experiences.

It is a project dedicated to exploring how England – the place and the people - is expressed through creative and artistic forms.

Think about the Lake District - dramatic and elegant, the lush greens and icy blues depicting an unspoilt England. William Wordsworth was so inspired by the landscape he wrote poems, sonnets and ballads dedicated to it.

Non-traditional art is just as important to recognise - graffiti on the streets, estates built in the Sixties, and even regional accents. Does this architecture, history and culture inspire you to think of all things English?

If you’re bursting with enthusiasm at the thought of creating something - why don’t you see how you can get involved? Visit the main Made in England site to find out how you can get your creative juices flowing.