Take part in 'Royally Big Portrait' digital art collage project to mark King Charles III coronation

BBC Children in Need has partnered with Outernet London to encourage people across the UK to take part in The Royally Big Portrait ahead of King Charles III coronation.

People are encouraged to be a part of this moment in history and celebrate the King’s historic coronation by joining artist Sam Barnett and drawing their own portrait of King Charles III.

Participants will need to submit their portrait via the BBC Children in Need website before Friday April 28 in order to have their drawing featured in The Royally Big Portrait.

The Royally Big Portrait will be exclusively unveiled at Outernet London BBC Children in Need Home of the Coronation, in the flagship space of The Now Building’s immense floor-to-ceiling wrap-around immersive screens.

The Royally Big Portrait is a giant digital portrait of King Charles III that will feature hundreds of thousands of individual portraits of the King drawn by people across the UK.

The portrait will be available to view at Outernet London, May 1-8.

Free to experience, visitors to the Outernet London district will be able to locate their individual drawing within the portrait using iPads, creating a fun and interactive experience for all the family, and see their personal contribution to this iconic moment in history on Outernet London’s world class screens.

Visitors to Outernet London will also have the opportunity to contribute to the final portrait by taking part live between May 1 and May 8.

Furthermore, people can celebrate the King’s Coronation and purchase a special print of the final portrait to remember this moment in history via the BBC Children in Need website.

Funds raised from the sale of each portrait will go on support the lives of vulnerable children and young people across the nation affected by food insecurity.

Creations submitted will not only be making history, but will also potentially lead to a Guinness World Records title for the most online contributions to a digital artwork.

Over 5,000 contributions from the general public are needed to break the world record, so the charity is encouraging as many people as possible across the UK to get involved with this unique and potentially record-breaking activity.

In addition to the exhibition at Outernet London, BBC Children in Need is partnering with the National Portrait Gallery in the lead up to its reopening on June 22.

The Gallery will share portraits of monarchs throughout history from its collection to help inspire all those taking part in the ‘Royally Big Portrait’ campaign.

Having closed its doors in 2020, the gallery has since undergone a major redevelopment project, including a complete redisplay of the collection and a new Learning Centre which will host creative programmes that have been co-curated with artists for schools, young people and adults and events ranging from photography workshops to painting tutorials.

The final portrait will be auctioned by Christie’s at The Outernet during a special auction event on May 4, with proceeds going to BBC Children in Need.

BBC Children in Need, chief executive, Simon Antrobus, said: “We’re thrilled to be working alongside a host of partners to celebrate His Majesty’s coronation, and to raise funds for families, children and young people experiencing food insecurity.

"This really is an historic moment in our nation’s history and culture and BBC Children in Need are delighted to be celebrating it.

"I can’t wait for the public to join us on Monday May 1 to see the unveiling of the final Royally Big Portrait at The Outernet.”

Outernet Global, CEO Philip O’ Ferrall, added: “We are very proud to be exclusively unveiling The Royally Big Portrait at Outernet London to mark this historic occasion as the the official BBC Children In Need Home of the Coronation.

"It’s a brilliant endeavour and we look forward to welcoming everyone to see the picture for free across our immense screens - I know it is going to look stunning.

"A big congratulations to all the children that took part and to BBC Children In Need for their continued amazing work helping and supporting young people.”

People across the UK can take part by visiting the BBC Children in Need website, where they can find all the information on The Royally Big Portrait, including how to get involved and an interactive art lesson with artist Sam Barnett.

Sam said: “I became a full time artist after I started painting portraits of inspirational people with my daughters, to expand their horizons and show them they could follow their own paths. My path is a strange one - I trained as a lawyer, spent most of my adult life building technology companies and only had the courage to become a full time artist when I was 38.

"What I’ve learnt from my experiences is that following your true path is hard. People around you will tell you to do what they think is right for you, but how do you find what is right for you? It’s even harder to find your path if, like many children in the UK, you live in poverty; you’re alone, lost or sad; your family is in crisis or you’ve suffered injustice.

"That’s why we’ve launched The Royally Big Portrait - to celebrate every child’s creativity and give them the self-belief to achieve, to be part of history, and to support other children so they can overcome their challenges.”

National Portrait Gallery chief operating officer, Ros Lawler, added: “Celebrating creativity and telling the story of UK history is at the very heart of the work of the National Portrait Gallery, so ahead of our reopening this June, we’re delighted to work with BBC Children in Need on The Royally Big Portrait and help provide inspiration for the children and young people taking part.”

Christie’s auctioneer and acting head of sale works on paper, Veronica Scarpati, said: “I’m delighted to be hammering the Christie’s gavel on behalf of BBC Children in Need, to play a part in raising funds for such an important cause, in recognition of the Coronation of King Charles III.

"Harnessing the excitement and positive spirit which mark this unique moment in history, I cannot think of a better way to celebrate the occasion than partnering with BBC Children in Need to help channel that energy into creating a brighter, more confident future for children and young people across the UK.”

The final deadline for entries is Friday April 28.