National Portrait Gallery launches book of superheroes to mark 10 years of working with GOSH school

Young people, families and staff at Great Ormond Street Hospital School have named their superheroes from the National Portrait Gallery’s Collection for a new workbook and Gallery learning initiative. My Superheroes workbook was launched on 5 December 2012 by the National Portrait Gallery at Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital School. The Gallery has been delivering a series of workshops based on the My Superheroes book to its project partners at Great Ormond Street Hospital School, Evelina Children’s Hospital School and Vital Arts, Royal London Children’s Hospital.

The National Portrait Gallery has been working in partnership with Great Ormond Street Hospital School in London for the past 10 years, sharing the inspirational stories of men and women in the Collection.

The illustrations for the workbook My Superheroes have been created by Marion Deuchars. Amongst the superheroes selected are explorer Sir Francis Drake, scientist Michael Faraday and suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst. The workbook will be used during workshops at the hospital schools to inspire children to imagine their own superheroes through drawing and creative writing. When the Gallery is not delivering workshop sessions the workbook can continue to be used and will also be made available for other hospital schools in the UK to download via the National Portrait Gallery website.

The project has been made possible with funding from The 29th May 1961 Charitable Trust, CHK Charities Limited and PF Charitable Trust.

Sandy Nairne, Director of the National Portrait Gallery, London, says: ‘I am delighted that the National Portrait Gallery is celebrating the 10th anniversary of working with Great Ormond Street Hospital School by launching My Superheroes, sharing the inspirational stories of the men and women in the Collection with so many children and young people in hospital schools.’

Jayne Franklin, Headmistress of the Great Ormond Street Hospital School says: ‘The National Portrait Gallery has been an important partner and friend of the school over the last decade, working with us on a number of exciting initiatives.  The My Superheroes storytelling and art workshops really motivated the pupils involved as they learnt about some important characters from history.  We’re really looking forward to using the book in lessons with other pupils in future.  We aim to provide an enriched curriculum to our pupils attending the Hospital School as it’s important we help them to continue to learn and inspire them as they cope with their medical treatment and are away from their home and normal school friends.’