Prince Charles Gets Support From Top British Artists

Tracey Emin, Brian Eno, Gavin Turk, and Brian Ferry Get Behind Face Britain

One of the  largest online collaborative art project ever conceived, is underway in the UK with over a thousand self portraits uploaded in the past week. It is part of The Prince’s Foundation for Children & The Arts sponsored by His Royal Highness Price Charles and will culminate in the works being shown during the 2012 Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

The portraits displayed in the online gallery are by children across the United Kingdom, who have been learning about the art of self portraiture thanks to this educational project from The Prince’s Foundation. Face Britain is open to all children and young people aged 4-16 years throughout the UK and gives them the opportunity to create self portraits which will be publicly displayed across the country and projected on to the frontage of Buckingham Palace in the Spring.

Artists Quentin Blake, Angela de la Cruz, Tracey Emin, Ryan Gander,Bob & Roberta Smith, Gavin Turk, Emily Patrick, Rankin, Yinka Shonibare, Gerald Scarfe, and even the illustrators of The Beano, are just some of the named artists who are contributing to Face Britain. Self portraits by the artists and other celebrity patrons will be auctioned to raise money for this great cause.

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 selfportraiture and to participate in Face Britain”.

The organisation which also includes high profile patrons and art school graduates who have followed alternative career paths, such as Brian Eno, Brian Ferry and Alan Rickman. Others have a natural talent and passion for portraiture, such as Fearne Cotton, David James and Derren Brown. However, all subscribe to the message of Face Britain, that art should be an open door, beneficial to everyone. It is not a competition so anyone can take part, regardless of ability or circumstance.

Face Britain is accepting portraits until 31 March 2012. After this, we’ll be holding a series of events, exhibitions and even a Guinness World Records attempt for ‘Most artists working on the same art installation’, to celebrate everyone’s work! 
In the process of bringing art to as many children as possible, Face Britain will also attempt to establish a new Guinness World RecordTM for the most artists working on the same art installation. Photo © Tracey Emin 2008 NGS

Visit Website  http://www.facebritain.org.uk/

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