Ben Ainslie Racing launches Art Project
by Ben Ainslie Racing 9 Oct 2014 13:03 BST
9 October 2014
The hoardings to the west of the base site will be decorated by the local school children © Ben Ainslie Racing
Seventy two young people from six schools in Portsmouth and Ryde, on the Isle of Wight, will come together on the 13th October for a community art project. They will paint images from the rich maritime heritage of the Solent – the stretch of water joining the two communities – onto a mural on the hoardings of the construction site at the Ben Ainslie Racing headquarters. It's a maritime history that Ben Ainslie Racing will continue from their new base on The Camber, in Portsmouth's Old Town.
The event is to celebrate the launch of a new charity that Ben Ainslie Racing will support through a number of areas, including hosting a Visitor Centre at their new headquarters building. The art project is being coordinated by local arts and media company, Strong Island, based in Southsea. They have worked with renowned local street artists James Waterfield and Dharma 77, and the internationally recognized My Dog Sighs on the mural design.
The six local schools (St Judes Church of England School, Park Community School, Lord Admiral Nelson School, Charter Academy, Ryde School, Ryde Academy) have been invited to paint the mural. The school children will range in age and ability from Primary School students from St Judes Church of England School, all the way to GCSE students.
They will paint flying boats and hovercraft, both built and developed on the Isle of Wight, and the latter still carrying people between Portsmouth and Ryde. The Mary Rose, a successful Tudor warship that sank fighting the French during the Battle of the Solent, salvaged and now displayed in the city. Naval ships and submarines will be there, along with previous British challengers for the America's Cup; Sir Thomas Sopwith's Endeavour, built in Gosport and launched into Portsmouth Harbour. Ben Ainslie Racing's new hydrofoiling catamaran boat will also be featured.
James Waterfield will paint the background design on Saturday and Sunday 11th-12th October – and everyone is invited to come along to the Camber and see it progress. It will be a skyline and seascape scene stretching across the Solent from Ryde on the Isle of Wight, to Portsmouth. Dharma 77 and My Dog Sighs will then join Waterfield on the 13th October to work with the art students, giving them the opportunity to learn from these cutting-edge contemporary artists.
Ben Ainslie Racing's Team Principal, Sir Ben Ainslie commented, "We really hope people will come along this coming weekend, and on the 13th and have a look at the work the students are doing. We're really excited about this, and we're going to find a permanent home for the best work in the Visitor Centre at the new headquarters."
The students will be working from 9.30am until 2pm on the 13th, and everyone is welcome.