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Charity Dinner at BADA - 2018
Children In Crisis
E
arlier this year
international children’s
education charity, Children
in Crisis, staged the
greatest show on earth in
aid of forgotten children.
Their victorian circus themed
gala dinner delivered an
immersive dining experience
which saw circus
performers, acrobats and
magicians entertain 150 of
the charity’s supporters.
A victorian circus themed evening.
Following a short film
highlighting the enormity of the
problem and the charity’s
response, Children in Crisis
CEO, Koy Thompson gave a
personal and moving account
of his time visiting Children in
Crisis projects in the
Democratic Republic of Congo.
Sally Phillips, ringmistress and host
for the evening.
Inside a specially constructed
big top tent, actress and
comedian extraordinaire Sally
Phillips – best known for her
roles in Bridget Jones and
Smack The Pony – was
ringmistress and host for the
evening. She introduced the
night’s proceedings in
spectacular comedic fashion as
well as highlighting the
problems that Children in Crisis
is tackling - the lack of
education for isolated women
and children in conflict-affected
countries.
Guests were treated to a
three-course dinner with a
starter of goats cheese and
beetroot salad followed by a
main course of fillet of salmon
with pureed leeks and fondant
potatoes. For dessert, a creamy
panna cotta with rhubarb and
orange compote completed the
menu. Following dinner both
silent and live auctions featured
a wonderful array of items.
Children in Crisis Patron and
Founder, Sarah, Duchess of
York also took centre stage to
remind attendees why she
founded the charity in 1993
and how money raised from
auction lots will fund much-
needed education and
protection projects in
Afghanistan, Sierra Leone and
the Democratic Republic of
Congo.
Thanks to guests incredible
generosity, the evening raised
an astonishing £75,000
towards helping isolated
women and children gain life-
changing education and literacy
skills. www.childrenincrisis.org
Smiles all around for a great event.
Royal Society of Portrait Painters
T
he Private View of the Royal
Society of Portrait Painters was
held on 9th May in the Mall Galleries
and, as usual, supporters gathered
for the prize giving, this year
presented by Xavier Bray, Director of
the Wallace Collection and currently
chief curator of the Dulwich Picture
Gallery. New President, Richard
Foster, the 20th President since the
foundation of the Society in 1891,
delivered his address introducing
new elements to the show and the
presentations began.
Anna Pinkster was given The Prince of
Wales’ Award for Portrait Drawing for Em
and Bruno, a charcoal of a girl and cat.
The de Laszlo Foundation Award for
under 35’s went to Emma Hopkins for
her nude Doreen Wallace. Emma had
four nude oils hung in the show and all
could have been chosen.
Paul Brason’s Sarah Taylor, High Sheriff of Oxford.
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THE LONDON & UK DATEBOOK
The Burke’s Peerage Foundation Award
for Classically Inspired Portraiture went
to Paul Brason for Sarah Taylor, High
Sheriff of Oxford and the Smallwood
Architects Prize for Contextual
Portraiture was awarded to Michael
Taylor for Alana – Figure with Box. The
Contemporary Arts Trust Award for the
most deserving artist went to Shawn
McGovern for Jess and Hayden, another
girl and cat.
Then the coveted Ondaatje Prize for
Portraiture was awarded to James Hague
for Mette, the most distinguished portrait
in the Society’s annual exhibition, with a
cheque for £10,000 plus the Society’s
Gold Medal.
A new prize reflecting a chosen theme, this
year ‘Friends’ and next year it will be
‘Moving’, was presented. The winner of The
£2000 RP Award was Saied Dai for Sisters.
Anyone can commission a portrait but
choosing the right artist is key. This is
where the Mall Galleries help with the
subject, the artist, size and budget. An
exhibition cannot run without there being a
demand; therefore the Galleries are always
increasing ways to find more subjects and
artists. With this in mind, the open
submissions from non-members has
increased to we