National Portrait Gallery

The October dates for this project are now fully booked. Schools interested in taking part in the next round (May 2012) should contact Alexa Hills on 020 7833 2555 or alexa.hills@englishtouringopera.org.uk.

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We are collaborating once more with the National Portrait Gallery in the delivery of a series of inspiring and creative workshops for children from primary schools and secondary schools. Pictures in the collection serve as starting-points for new composition. The children (typically one class at a time) arrive at the gallery in the morning, and are taken to one of the gallery spaces, where they are introduced to one (or more in the case of a group portrait) historical or contemporary portrait. The image then becomes the starting-point for instant music-theatre composition, the pupils working with professional musicians in a workshop space. In the afternoon the children return to the portrait in the main gallery where they perform their composition in public.

The workshop is suitable for key stage 2 classes and lasts a full day. The workshops are run biannually and are led by leading musicians and animateurs Paul Griffiths and Pete Latanka.

We work also with older students, often supporting the National Creative and Media Diploma. Picture This was a very successful project in 2008, working with students from Plumstead Manor School in Greenwich. Workshops took place in the National Portrait Gallery and also in school, and performances took place at the NPG (both in a Gallery space and also in the Lecture Theatre) and at Tate Modern. There was also a studio recording of the music (with composer Russell Hepplewhite) and a DVD of the final piece. Both are available on request.