Peterborough Royalty
There are some truly amazing people out there
Peterborough Royalty has been about celebrating the people who have done beautiful and amazing things for other people over the last two years.
How often do you get to say a real, heartfelt thank you to the people who have just been kind, those who have selflessly gone out of their way to do something special for you or others.
Early in 2022 we invited people from across the city to join us in thanking these people as part of a citywide festival called Peterborough Celebrates.
We asked people to draw a picture of the person they wanted to thank, or nominate them to be drawn by one of our team of illustrators (Ellie Sandall, Emily Bowers, Clare Turner and Molly Chambers). The response was amazing.
Peterborough Royalty nominees
We had nominations for postmen, religious leaders, teachers, community support workers, pets (yes, they helped us through the pandemic too!).
People told us about small, quiet acts of kindness, from checking in on someone on a regular basis, baking someone a cake to cheer them up or going for bike rides together. Others had volunteered at foodbanks, cooked and delivered food to families, supported new arrivals to the city or supported the families struggling in Ukraine. It was amazing to read all that people have been doing to make people’s lives that bit easier.
On 13 – 15th May installed a field of flags and banners at Peterborough Celebrates Festival showcasing all of the amazing illustrations people sent in. Together we created one big thank you from the city.
Below you can see some of the wonderful portraits and artworks that were created as part of Peterborough Royalty. The banners and flags we created are touring to different locations around the city – so keep your eyes peeled.
Inspired to try your own portrait of someone?
Fancy having a go at drawing a portrait yourself. This project has finished now but you can still have fun with these worksheets below by illustrators Ellie Sandall and Clare Turner. They give some great tips on how to start!