SOUTHERN DAILY ECHO: A Packed meeting in Winchester last night saw the launch of a hugely ambitious project to celebrate the English language.
The English Project is aiming to open a £25m tourist attraction in Winchester city centre in 2012. It would be the first museum in the world dedicated to English.
It will use interactive media, live interpretation, innovative displays, archives and temporary exhibitions to tell its story, from the language of a few Germanic tribes in the fifth and sixth centuries to the global language of today.
The official launch was held last night at the city’s university before a packed audience of 350 people. The trustees hope to develop the Woolstaplers Hall, which is part of the £100m Silver Hill project. They said it could attract 100,000 to 150,000 visitors a year.
Professor David Crystal, a leading expert on the language, gave a lecture about how English could evolve. He said: “I see the English Project as a timely means of fostering public interest in language. It will provide a model which I would expect other English-speaking countries to follow.”
Professor Christopher Mulvey, one of the trustees, said: “To realise this vision will cost millions of pounds. We are developing a strategy to raise the money and although we don’t pretend it will be easy we have made a credible start.”
