Amanda Waite's Platinum Jubilee Workshop

Our rather large Jubilee Project kicks off with two Saturday workshops at Cornerstone Academy for GCSE Art Students from three local secondary schools. Local artist Amanda Waite has been commissioned by The Power House and Lighthouse, Poole to create one of the Platinum Jubilee legacy artworks, funded by Arts Council England, BCP Council, and local business Da Vinci’s Restaurant.

On Saturday 30th April and 14th May, Amanda was joined by 17 Art students from Cornerstone Academy, Lytchett Minster and St Edward’s Schools. Before teaching them the original photographic process of cyanotype, the students were invited to engage in abstract art making learning a new technique. These pieces were then put together with natural objects they had collected to create an abstract design to then go through a cyanotype process producing a stunning Prussian Blue artwork.

Each artwork is then being collated and with computer software making a mosaic image depicting Princess Elizabeth’s first official portrait by Cecil Beaton, taken when she was 16 and five years after unwittingly walking into her destiny as future Queen of England.

Amanda is passionate about Young People discovering their latent potential and unique personality to discover their true identity and purpose, springboarding them into adult life. Choosing Cecil Beaton’s portrait of the Queen as a teenager connecting Her Majesty more with the students who are just a couple of years younger than she in this image.

Along with local artists Maureen La Frenais (Jubilee Exhibition Curator) and Claire Austin, Amanda will now work on the piece to create nine A1 cyanotype panels to form the portrait.

The finished artwork will be The Power House’s signature piece in Poole Britannia! Platinum Jubilee Exhibition which opens with a Celebration Day on Saturday 25th June.