Some people argue there is no such thing as a shared English culture. They say all those invasions by the Normans and Romans simply left us with a ‘hotch potch’ of other people’s cultures. Paradoxically, this melting pot is what makes England unique. And today’s multicultural communities make this mix even more vibrant and interesting.

ICONS is a rich resource of material about our lives and cultural heritage. Teachers use it to stimulate classroom learning. Inspiring content continually sparks visits to arts venues and events. It whets the appetites of tourists and provides valuable reference material for students. The content for the site has been created by the ICONS team and our partner organisations, as well as valued contributions from you - the public.

We hope this site continues to intrigue individuals and organisations, we also want to interest people who might not normally go to museums or art galleries. Triggering a response from people who do not usually use the web is also a priority. Our life-long learning partners are useful allies here.

ICONS is the first project by ICONS Online, a not-for-profit organisation whose aim is to develop projects that provide stimulating interactive ways of exploring different cultural landscapes. Find out about ICONS Online.

How were the icons chosen?

Why fish and chips but not a kebab? Why Alice's Adventures In Wonderland? What about Peter Rabbit or Rupert Bear and Harry Potter? 

Debating which things are truly icons of England was all part of the process of creating our portrait. Not everyone agreed, of course. Some icons are controversial. 

ICONS had an advisory board which helped sift through nominations and decide which icons were to be featured on the site. This group, drawn from a wide range of backgrounds and experience, considered all your comments and suggestions – as well as the results of the public vote.