The Power of the Portrait : Free Studio Drawing Workshop for young artists

To celebrate the 75th anniversary of Windrush, the Royal Drawing School is honoured to host actor Rudolph Walker CBE at our studios in Shoreditch. Young Artists will have the opportunity not only to draw Rudolph, but also to hear about his experience as part of the Windrush Generation. They will explore the capacity of portraiture to connect us with each other and celebrate individuals and their stories.  

Students will also take inspiration from the Windrush portraits, recently commissioned by HM King Charles III, including Carmen Esme Munroe, OBE by artist Sonia Boyce OBE, RA, Edna Henry by artist Amy Sherald and John (Big John) Richards by Royal Drawing School alumni, Deanio X.  

Rudolph Walker CBE is a Trinidadian-British actor who came to the UK in 1960.  His decades-long career has spanned stage and screen.  One of the first black actors regularly in television, he is best known for his role as Patrick Trueman in the BBC soap Eastenders, which he joined in 2001.  In 2006 he was appointed OBE for services to drama.  In 2009, to mark his 70th birthday, he established the Rudolph Walker Foundation, which aims to transform young people’s lives through performing arts and by providing inspiring role models.  He received the Outstanding Achievement Award at the British Soap Awards in 2018 and was appointed CBE in 2020, for services to drama and charity. Rudolph Walker is also a member of the Windrush Portraits Committee which advised on the selection of artists and Windrush Elders for the Windrush: Portraits of a Pioneering Generation exhibition.

The workshop is open to any student who might be interested in taking part, whether they are currently studying an Art and Design subject or not, all are welcome. All materials will be provided. 

The session will be taught by Dexter Orszagh and Oliver Macdonald Oulds, alumni of the Royal Drawing School’s postgraduate-level programme, The Drawing Year. 

How to register 

We are expecting this workshop to be popular - limited spaces are offered on a first come first served basis. Once the workshop is fully booked, a waiting list will be enabled. Please complete the registration form here 

Other events 

The School is also hosting an online workshop for 12 – 18 year olds on Thursday 29th June: Windrush Portraits: Free Online Drawing Workshop for young artists. The event will be introduced by Baroness Floella Benjamin OM, DBE, and students will draw, and hear from sitter Ron Frater MBE, part of the Windrush Generation. 

The Royal Drawing School is collaborating with the Royal Collection Trust, Baroness Floella Benjamin OM, DBE and Ms Paulette Simpson CBE, members of the Windrush Portraits Committee, to develop and deliver an education programme to accompany the exhibition, Windrush: Portraits of a Pioneering Generation, a series of portraits commissioned by King Charles III, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Windrush and honour the Windrush Elders.   

The programme aims to educate and inspire young people, promote conversation and dialogue, and bring together communities and generations to explore and celebrate the contribution of the Windrush Generation.      

John (Big John) Richards by Drawing Year alumnus, Deanio X. © DeanioX. Photograph: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023; photographer: Matthew Hollow.⁠

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See the exhibition 

Windrush: Portraits of a Pioneering Generation display is included as part of a visit to the Palace of Holyroodhouse until mid-September. The portraits will then go on display at the National Portrait Gallery from October for approximately six months. The portraits can also be seen on 500 billboards and 600 shopping centre screens across the UK for two weeks.