This year of Olympics, Paralympics and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee offers many opportunities for young people to shine. But one project – Face Britain, a self-portrait project launched by the Prince’s Foundation for Children and the Arts, is giving every young person in the country the chance to become a part of a unique art installation as well as a Guinness World Records participant.
Well, that might sound like some overblown public relations build-up but the idea is worth celebrating as a great example of collaboration and inclusiveness with an intriguing end product. The project, launched late last year at a surprisingly low-key but nevertheless glamorous event in Bloomsbury, is open to all children and young people in the UK, and gives them the opportunity to create self portraits in any genre or style they choose. The completed images are being uploaded onto the Face Britain online gallery until March, providing a unique snapshot of how the nation’s young people see themselves in the lead up to HM The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the London Olympic and Paralympic Games this year.
The installation will be created from these portraits in to a montage portrait of the Queen, which will be projected onto the front of Buckingham Palace and showcased on the BBC Big Screens across the UK and on digital screens in a host of major railway stations, shopping centres and prime roadside locations. If that’s not enough, Face Britain is a Guinness World Records attempt for the most artists working on the same installation.
Speaking on film at the Face Britain launch event, HRH The Prince of Wales said: ‘As founder and President of The Prince’s Foundation for Children and the Arts, I firmly believe that everyone should have the opportunity, at an early age, to be given access to and to be inspired by the arts. Sustained access to performance and visual arts can empower children to explore their creativity and to enhance their personal development and self-esteem.
‘With this in mind, I am delighted that my Foundation for Children and the Arts is to invite all children and young people in the United Kingdom to engage actively in the art of self-portraiture and to participate in Face Britain. The only stipulation for all participants is that it has to be you – you are Face Britain.’
At the event, television artist Neil Buchanan demonstrated his portrait-drawing skills to some of the invited school children, including a group of Year 9 students at Lambeth Academy. Daniel Roche, who stars in the television comedy Outnumbered, was also there in his role as patron, while Culture Secretary Ed Vaizey nipped in to add his support. Working with the young guests was artist Ashley Davies who said: ‘We have given the young people basic guidelines about drawing portraits. For example, we have encouraged them to draw an oval, then divide the shape into six parts to balance the features. We have also been giving them tips on how to use colour.’
Since the launch, hundreds of photos of artwork have been uploaded to the gallery. Schools have been taking individual approaches to the project from setting up after-school clay clubs, making self-portraits in the style of Picasso, whole school days and hospital education workshops.
So how do you get involved? Information packs have been sent to every school in the country but if yours has got lost you can register at www.facebritain.org.uk and follow the instructions.
There are plenty of ways to inspire your students in different styles of portraiture from visiting local galleries and museums, using recycled materials to encourage sustainability or running a Face Britain day to create a whole school project. For the more adventurous, you could join up with your local community by exhibiting your students’ work in your city, town or village hall.
Do let Ink Pellet know if you do! Face Britain Tantoo_Fox
