As part of our series of interactive Community Engagement events, particularly inspired by the Great Chamber and its portraits, we hosted a new series of six Charterhouse Zoom Art Workshops, facilitated by freelancer Martine from PomegranArt.

Martine carried out extensive research on our Great Chamber portraits and their interpretation, and used this as the foundation for her workshops (she even dressed in period costume!). One week she focussed on George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham (1628-1687) known to us as ‘The Free-Thinker.’ She worked with participants from one of our Community Engagement partners – the Claremont Project, who are based in Angel, Islington and have also had to move all their events online during lockdown.

Claremont offers an extensive programme for over 55’s and they invited some of their artists to join us. Martine wanted everyone to be able to participate fully in the workshops, using materials from around the house. The group experimented with a range of materials, from pencils to tea!

It was lovely to get feedback – including:

Thank you so much for leading a wonderful six weeks of workshops – I have only been to one but the standard of work I saw in the final display was something else – magnificent! 
Martha Pailing, Centre Assistant , Claremont Project

I thought the Charterhouse art course was so enjoyable and I learnt lots from the lovely teacher, Martine. She established a lovely atmosphere and we were all able to keep unmuted whilst we got on with our work. So it felt very inclusive and friendly. She explained things very clearly…It could have been a very dry description of some rather dark restored paintings. But by dressing up herself and encouraging us to do so too and reading a story of each of the characters in each week’s painting to us, Jackanory style, the leader made it fun. I did my first collages on this course, and although I hadn’t quite understood the concept at first – I loved what I produced, even if a bit barmy, because of the encouragement we were given.
GW, Claremont Project Member

If you are a local organisation that might be interested in partnering with our Community Engagement programme, please do contact our Community Engagement Officer Nichola Charalambou