LONDON, ENGLAND.-At 8.20am on 25 July tune in to BBC Radio 4's Today Programme, as voting begins in one of the UK's biggest ever interactive events for the visual arts - the search for 'The Greatest Painting in Britain.' Over the next 6 weeks the public will be voting for their favourite paintings. They can vote for any painting in a UK collection. Old or new, British or foreign, Titian or Constable, Frida Khalo or Beryl Cook. If it's your favourite you can vote for it.

The result will be announced on September 5, live on the Today Programme (92-95 FM / 198 LW) in a broadcast from the National Gallery.

Launch - On 25 July the very first votes will be cast by the Today Programme's James Naughtie and Steven Sackur, who will announce their favourite paintings live on-air.

They will be joined by Charles Saumarez Smith (Director of the National Gallery), Christopher Brown (Director of the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford), Kate Brindley (Director of Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery) and artist Grayson Perry, winner of the 2003 Turner Prize.

How does the poll work? - The First Round: from 25 July to 8 August, the public are able to vote for any painting in Britain. If it is a painting, and it is in a UK collection (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland), you can vote for it.

All voting will be done via the Today Programme website at www.bbc.co.uk/today. You can also record comments and opinions about the paintings, as well as casting your vote.

To create a lively national debate, a panel of celebrity advocates will be discussing their favourite paintings on the Today Programme. These will include Sir Peter Blake, Alexander McQueen, Boris Johnson, Sir Paul Smith, Grayson Perry, Marcus Harvey and John Virtue.

Dedicated web pages on www.bbc.co.uk/today and www.nationalgallery.org.uk will help stimulate a debate about what your favourite painting might be.

The Shortlist: From 15 August, voting moves to a shortlist of the Top 10 paintings, as voted for by the public.

Voting will again be via www.bbc.co.uk/today.

The Today Programme will host three weeks of debate around the shortlisted paintings.

The Final: 5 September at the National Gallery. Today presenter, James Naughtie, and National Gallery Director, Charles Saumarez Smith, will reveal to the nation live on Radio 4, exactly which the British public think is 'The Greatest Painting in Britain.'