Grayson Perry to explore what is means to be English in new Channel 4 series  

7 September 2022

Channel 4 has commissioned a three-part travelogue that will see Grayson Perry travelling through England in order to explore the idea of Englishness. Grayson Perry: This England (w/t) from Swan Films will set the award-winning artist and broadcaster on his most personal journey yet. Grayson is in search of the objects, art, design, fashion items, bits and pieces of popular culture, personal mementoes, cherished family heirlooms and memorabilia, that will help him create his own subjective interpretation of what Englishness is all about. He’ll collect these objects from the people he meets, and they will eventually fill an exhibition at a prestigious gallery, sitting alongside artwork that Grayson will create himself.

Grayson Perry says: “With all the talk about identity these days I thought it would be a good time to look at one shared by over 80% of the UK population, Englishness. What is Englishness in 2022? The Scots, the Welsh and the Irish seem to be more comfortable with feelings around national identity. I’m criss-crossing the country trying to weave a picture that helps us understand who the English are."

Neil Crombie, Creative Director of Swan Films, says: “We’re so delighted that Grayson is turning his unique artist-anthropologist’s eye onto the English. These three documentary travelogues are sure to be both hugely entertaining and packed full of insight into who the English are and how they see themselves.”

Shaminder Nahal, Commissioning Editor at Channel 4, says: “The last time Grayson went on the road for a Channel 4 series, it was to try and understand the complex mood and tribes of America. Now, closer to home, he’ll be getting under the skin of the English at a moment where our identity politics seem more in flux than ever. With Grayson’s utterly distinctive take, and Swan Films’ unique film-making approach, the series promises to be genuinely eye-opening and entertaining.”

Series Directed by Christian Collerton

Executive Producers: Neil Crombie and Joe Evans