National Portrait Gallery
Creative workshops for children
For ten years, Vital Arts partnered with the National Portrait Gallery to deliver engaging, hands-on art workshops for young patients and their families at The Royal London Hospital and Newham University Hospital.
Inspired by portraits from the Gallery’s renowned collection, artists and educators invited children to explore themes of identity, imagination, and storytelling. Workshops were thoughtfully designed to take place in hospital schools, playrooms, and at patients’ bedsides, adapting to the individual needs of each child. Activities included drawing, collage, creative writing, photography, simple film-making, and interactive music and literacy sessions. This provided young patients with the opportunity to journey into magical, fantastical, and mythical worlds inspired by some of their favourite authors while working alongside professional artists and photographers. Participants also created their own investigative artists’ journals, using themselves, their families, interests, and the NPG Collection as rich source material.
In addition to regular term-time visits, the NPG team delivered seasonal and half-term programmes inspired by current exhibitions - from C.S. Lewis’ Narnia to portraits of travellers and explorers. Each session aimed to distract, relax, and engage young people, offering creative respite during their hospital stay.
The programme further supported hospital staff by providing training for teachers and play specialists, enabling them to continue creative arts activities between workshops.
Outcomes and evaluation
The project enabled young people and their families to access the Gallery’s Collection and helps support health, wellbeing and happiness through participating in the workshops, and as a result of the workshops, an activity book was developed and is being distributed to young patients and their families through the hospital school and Play Department.
You can download the activity book here: My Superheroes activity booklet
“Students and staff always look forward to the National Portrait Gallery visits. The ability of the artists and facilitators to promote learning through art always impresses. Sessions are lively, fun and definitely brighten our students’ days.”
Andrew Wieland, Hospital Teacher, Barts and The London Children’s Hospital School (London East Alternative Provision)
Funder
Partner
