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Speaking at the culmination of the Houses of Common’s 2015 Flag Project, which is designed to introduce children at a young age to the concept of representation, Jonathan Parsons, the renowned flag artist commissioned as the creative lead on the project, said today:

“The 2015 Flag Project demonstrates not just the wonderful creativity and imagination of all the participants, but also affords a genuinely unique child’s-eye view of the entire UK in 2015.

“Through their flag designs the children have represented their local identities in a variety of imaginative ways. They have drawn upon the natural environment of their area, or its myths, legends and history. Often, they have shown a local trade or industry.

“As an artist, I know that having your creative work validated is very empowering, so I hope that through this ultimate 'show and tell' every participant feels this project has given them a degree of influence – something that many children do not possess.”

Commenting further David Natzler, Clerk of the House of Commons, added:

“Flags are one of the key ways in which individual and group identities are represented around the world. This makes them a perfect vehicle to encapsulate a project celebrating this year’s anniversary of 750 years of political representation in the UK.  

“The 80 flags flying in Parliament Square this week – the week in which the new 2015 Parliament meets – were designed by primary school children from across the UK to represent their local communities.

“It is thrilling to see the culmination of this parliamentary project, which has enabled its participants to learn about their democratic heritage through creative work, and to see their visual achievements given such a prominent platform here in Parliament Square – a space usually reserved to mark royal occasions, state visits or military events.”

The flags stem from an educational journey undertaken by children in over 450 primary schools to discover the importance of elected representation in the UK Parliament – a project developed to celebrate the 750^th anniversary of the House of Commons (Simon de Montfort parliament 1265). 

The display of flags in Parliament Square was made possible with financial support from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

Ed Vaizey, Minister of State for Culture and the Digital Economy said:

“The 2015 Flag Project is a fantastic programme that has enabled young people to take a creative approach to thinking about what represents them and their communities. The project takes inspiration from our great democratic heritage of which we are rightfully proud, especially in this anniversary year of Magna Carta and the Montfort parliament."

Speaking about the project, Tristram Hunt, historian, Shadow Secretary of State for Education and MP for Stoke on Trent Central said today:

”It’s thrilling to see the voice of young people from across the UK so creatively on display in Parliament Square this week. It feels very right to commemorate this year’s 750^th anniversary of the Montfort parliament – a parliament thought by many to have started the tradition, which ultimately led to the House of Commons – by looking to our future generation of voters. I am proud of the very high standard of work demonstrated by all participants, and am very pleased that a design developed by a school in my own constituency has become the one used for the flag made to represent the historic county of Staffordshire.”

The 2015 Flag Project forms part of the Houses of Parliament’s public programme, Parliament in the Making, which commemorates two important anniversaries in 2015: 750 years since the Simon de Montfort parliament (1265) and 800 years since the sealing of Magna Carta (1215).

Media Queries

FOR ALL QUERIES and INTERVIEW REQUESTS please contact

Sophia Linehan, 2015 Anniversaries, Communication and Partnerships Manager, linehans@parliament.uk | +44 (0)20 7219 2283 | +44 (0)7917 488 544 (NB. available all weekend)
or

Hannah Pearce, Media Officer, pearcehm@parliament.uk | +44 (0)20 7219 8430 | +44 (0)7917 488 162 (available Saturday and after 2pm Sunday)

Filming in Parliament Square:

Please note that media access is regulated on a routine basis for reasons of security. Crews or photographers wishing to film the flags are advised to please contact Sophia Linehan or Hannah Pearce to agree a location in advance.  

Interviews can be arranged (at ground level or in rooftop locations overlooking the square) with guests including: 

• Jonathan Parsons, the contemporary artist and expert on flag design who led the project.
• Caterina Loriggio, Senior Parliamentary Campaigner, 2015 Anniversaries
• Tristram Hunt MP, Historian
   

Some participating schools will be bringing their pupils to visit Westminster during the week when the flags are flying. Please contact Emma Mitra or Matt Meyer at 2015flags@parliament.uk if you would like to make contact with a specific school.

Still images of every flag design submitted to the project to date are freely available to view and download via the exhibition website www.parliament.uk/2015flaghub.

Still photographs of the flags in situ will be available on a pooled basis as follows: 58 ceremonials flags: Saturday 16 May at noon. All 80 flags: Monday 18 May at 10am. Please contact commonsimages@parliament.uk to request for pooled materials.

Background information

The 2015 Flag Project invites young people (Key Stage 2, aged 7 – 11 years) to design a flag to represent their local community as part of a project developed to celebrate the 750^th anniversary of the Simon de Montfort parliament 1265, where chosen representatives from the shires and boroughs came together for the first time thus establishing a tradition which led to what we now know as the House of Commons.

80 flags will fly between 18 and 22 May 2015 in Parliament Square. Of these:

• 58 at full ceremonial size (12ft x 6ft) will be installed by the evening of Friday 15 May on the permanent flag poles routinely used in Parliament Square.
• A further 22 made a smaller scale (6ft x 3ft) will be installed by 6am on Monday 18 May on temporary flag poles.

All flags have been hand-sewn using traditional methods.

It is anticipated all flags will remain in place in Parliament Square until Friday 22 May.

One flag has been designed by Jonathan Parson, the flag artist who led the project, to represent all the children who took part.

All the other chosen flags were designed by pupils aged 7 – 11 years. Each has been chosen to represent one historic county of the UK.

A map showing the location for each flag in Parliament Square is available to download: http://www.parliament.uk/documents/education/online-resources/2015-anniversaries/Flags-map-Parliament-Square.pdf

A full list of schools whose flag design has been selected is available to download: http://www.parliament.uk/education-resources/2015%20Historic%20County%20flags%20UPDATE%20v3.pdf

The flags selected to fly in Parliament Square were chosen from those submitted during the first stage of the 2015 Flag Project (www.parliament.uk/2015flaghub). At this stage MPs were asked to nominate a school in their constituency.

An estimated 20,000 participants from across the UK have already been involved. The project remains open and any primary school can still take part in this project until 31 December.

A video workshop and toolkit (for teachers) is available to download: www.parliament.uk/education/about-your-parliament/2015-flag-project

This project and the entire Parliament in the Making programme is managed by the Public Engagement and Outreach Group within the House of Commons Department of Information Services. www.parliament.uk/2015 | #Parliament2015

The cost of the Parliament in the Making programme – including the 2015 Flag Project – has been met by pre-existing House of Commons’ Department of Information Services’ budget. The programme’s objectives are to inform the public about Parliament, its role and facilitate engagement with its work.

The estimated cost of delivering the 2015 Flag Project is £20,300. Final costs will be made available upon completion of the programme. The cost to fly the 2015 Flag Project in Parliament Square is £39,573. Of these total costs £9,857 will met by the Department of Information Services’ budget and £29,716 will be met by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).