‘Who would you call if you were in charge of creating a new national anthem for England?’

In December 2022, our Artist in Residence Amartey Golding hosted a communal lunch at Lighthouse, inviting members of the public, creative industry professionals in Brighton, and friends to eat and discuss their answers to the question: ‘who would you call if you were in charge of creating a new national anthem for England?’

The afternoon facilitated discussions about national pride and shame, what it means to be English, and included a poetry reading by Afrori Books founder Carolynn Bain.

The Lunch was held as part of the research and development for Amartey’s current project Anthems! investigating what a national anthem is, whose stories get told, and who gets to tell them? These questions will result in a nationwide public artwork made up of a growing collection of Anthems that bring together a rich celebration of English communities through musical and oral traditions.

Watch our interview with Amartey Golding to learn more about the artist’s time in residence at Lighthouse, and his current project: Anthems!