News

Artwork by students from Seashell Trust has taken pride of place at an exhibition in Buckingham Palace.

Our students made the embellished felt artwork as a 90th birthday gift for the Queen, who is the patron of Seashell Trust.

The exhibition, viewed by half a million visitors, was curated from thousands of gifts the monarch has received during her 65-year reign.

The Seashell picture was one of just 200 items selected and was displayed in the Ball Supper Room at the Queen's official residence in London.

Lauren Mullarkey, the artist-in-residence at the Seashell Trust-run Royal School Manchester (pictured with student Dan Follon), worked with students to produce the piece inspired by landscapes around its campus.

She said: “It is wonderful that this work has been chosen out of all the special gifts the Queen must have received during her reign. We are thrilled that the students' artwork has been acknowledged in this way.

“Most of the students worked on the background, and the post-16 students worked on the detail. The work was made using merino wool, felted together using the wet felting process and an embellisher machine. It was inspired by the natural flowers in the spring landscape on the grounds of the trust.”

Ann Durnford, musician in residence at Seashell Trust, said: “Several people I know have been on the Palace tour, and were very excited to see Seashell's contribution. It is a great honour for it to be chosen by the Palace, and Seashell should be rightly proud.”

Five lucky Seashell Trust students along with their families and carers celebrated Her Majesty’s 90th birthday at the Patron’s Lunch on the Mall with 10,000 representatives of some 600 charities that enjoy royal patronage last year.

Photograph of the Seashell Trust artwork on display in the Ball Supper Room at Buckingham Palace as part of the Royal Gifts exhibition is courtesy of the Royal Collection Trust/© Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2017