THE EXPRESS LAUNCHES THE BRILLIANTLY BRITISH CAMPAIGN

● 2 week editorial and marketing campaign will galvanise the public to support British businesses in the run-up to Christmas

● The Brilliantly British Photograph will capture a modern, diverse and inclusive Britain in 2020

● High profile judging panel includes Dame Twiggy Lawson, V&A Director Tristram Hunt, The Young Vic’s Kwame Kwei-Armah, actor Shobna Gulati and acclaimed Fleet Street photographer Mike Moore

● Winning image will be displayed in the V&A and printed in the Daily Express as well as the Manchester Evening News, Liverpool Echo, and Birmingham Mail

DECEMBER 2, 2020: Today the Express launches its Brilliantly British campaign. It is a call from the Daily Express and Reach’s local titles across the country asking the nation to support Brilliantly British businesses in retail sectors including automotive, fashion, home, lifestyle, leisure, food and drink.

Camelot UK Lotteries Limited, the licensed operator of The National Lottery® is the headline partner for Brilliantly British. It will benefit from branded collateral around the editorial content for the duration of the 14 day Express editorial and marketing initiative.

The campaign will start with a search for the Brilliantly British Photograph, a competition to find a positive image that captures a modern, inclusive Britain in 2020.

The winning photograph will be displayed in the V&A and printed in the Daily Express and eight regional titles, including the Manchester Evening News, Liverpool Echo and Birmingham Mail. The winning photographer will win the latest iPhone 12 Pro.

The Brilliantly British Photograph is open to amateur photographers up and down the country. Entries can be shot on anything from a camera phone to the latest Canon.

The judging panel will consist of industry experts and household names from the arts:

● Actress and fashion icon Twiggy ● V&A Director Tristram Hunt ● The Young Vic’s Artistic Director Kwame Kwei-Armah ● Star of stage and screen Shobna Gulati ● Award-winning Fleet Street photographer Mike Moore ● Daily Express Editor Gary Jones ● Express Digital Arts Editor Stefan Kyriazis.

Shane Davison, Marketing Director for Reach national titles said, “Brilliantly British is a positive and modern collaboration between The Express, commercial partners and the arts supporting our readers and businesses, which is crucial now more than ever.”

Express Editor-in-Chief Gary Jones said: "Let’s celebrate and support a modern Britain. We’re delighted to be working with Camelot as well as launching a search for the Brilliantly British Photograph. The very best photographs bring an intense emotional reaction - and that's what we're hoping the winning Brilliantly British image will successfully convey.”

Nigel Railton Chief Executive at Camelot said, "At Camelot, we have the privilege of looking after a British institution, the National Lottery. That’s why at this time of national crisis, I’m proud to support the Brilliantly British campaign which is designed to get us all pulling together, buying British products and supporting British retailers and manufacturers. Let’s make 2021 the year of the fight back."

Lead judge Twiggy said: "I have been involved with the arts all my adult life, both on camera and behind it, and have worked with some of the greatest photographers in the world. After a year like 2020, we need art more than ever, it offers hope, and gives a voice to those who need one most. When the Express asked me to be a judge on the Brilliantly British Photography panel, I was thrilled to be involved.”

Tristram Hunt, Director of the V&A said: “The V&A cares for one of the most important photography collections in the world, and we have been conserving and interpreting photography since 1852. We are delighted to be showcasing the winning Brilliantly British Photograph, and to be celebrating the creativity and hope that photography and the arts can offer our diverse British culture in 2020.”

Director of the Young Vic, Kwame Kwei-Armah said: “I wanted to be part of this Brilliantly British photography campaign because, although 2020 will go down as a very hard year for many of us, what it did show is that diverse Britain stood up and stood together. We united in a powerful way. This was particularly evident during the summer of social injustice, when people came together to say things must change. That was the highlight of 2020. And I hope the photographs submitted will capture this sense of togetherness and unity in a way that words cannot. I look forward to helping find that positivity through the lens of a brilliant photographic artist.”

Actor Shobna Gulati said: "I'm excited to be judging the winning Brilliantly British Photograph. Art makes it possible to reflect upon and escape the sometimes harsh realities of life. It can create an opportunity to find beauty and solace. I will be looking for an image that represents this and our brilliant diverse nation. After a year like 2020, I think we all need to escape, even momentarily."

Award winning photographer Mike Moore said: “I worked in Fleet Street for more than 30 years, so I know the power of a good photograph. I’ll be looking for a picture that leaps out, and reflects our lives in a multicultural modern Britain. Perhaps it will make us smile, but it’ll most certainly make us think."

The competition launches on 2 December 2020 and entries close on 2 January 2021. A winner will be announced on 15 January 2021, with the photograph displayed in the V&A the following week, alongside some of the biggest names in photography.

For all details on how to enter visit www.express.co.uk/brilliantlybritishphoto

-ENDS-

Notes to Editors

About the Express

Since 1900, the Express has been part of the fabric of British life, informing millions of readers, both in print and online. It is a proudly conservative newspaper, though hasn’t always supported the conservatives in recent elections. In recent years it has fought particularly hard for causes including ending the cystic fibrosis drug shortage, fighting for better treatment for veterans suffering from mental health problems, and exiting the European Union. The Express is owned by Reach plc and is a member of The Trust Project. For more info visit Express.co.uk.

About Reach plc

Reach plc is the largest commercial national and regional news publisher in the UK with a growing portfolio in Ireland. We create engaging, differentiated content which is distributed through newspapers, magazines and digital platforms – playing a central role in our audiences’ daily lives.

Our national and regional brands have a long heritage of being trusted sources of the latest news, information, sport and entertainment, offering a range of opportunities to connect brands with consumers. With one of the biggest monthly multi-platform audiences in the UK Reach’s national and regional news brands are prominent champions, campaigners and changemakers.

For more information visit www. reachplc.com.

The V&A The Victoria and Albert Museum, London (V&A) is the world’s leading museum of art, design and performance, with collections unrivalled in their scope and diversity, spanning 5,000 years of human creativity. It was established in 1852 to make works of art available to all and to inspire British designers and manufacturers. Today, its purpose is to champion creative industry, inspire the next generation, and spark everyone’s imagination.

Further Information on the V&A Photography Collection

The V&A holds the National Collection of the Art of Photography, one of the largest and most important photographic collections in the world. It encompasses approximately 800,000 works by leading historic and contemporary photographers. The museum has collected photographs since its foundation in 1852 and continues to collect today, with many acquisitions funded through the generous support of the V&A Photographs Acquisition Group.

About Photographer Mike Moore

Mike Moore has been a Fleet Street Photographer for more than 30 years, specialising in conflict and the third world. During this time he has been British Press Photographer of the Year three times, Royal Photographer of the Year twice, News Photographer of the Year, Feature Photographer of the Year and the winner of two World Press Awards.

For further information please contact [email protected]/ 07528 381117