8 December 2021 10:02

RAD announces portrait competition to celebrate new headquarters

The RAD is inviting entries from budding artists from across the UK for a portrait competition to celebrate the opening of our brand-new global headquarters in Spring next year.

Adeline Genée in 'Round the Town Again', Empire Theatre, London, 1899. Photo by Hana Studios

Entrants are asked to submit a portrait proposal of founding RAD President and ballet pioneer, Dame Adeline Genée. Sponsored by historic dance shoemakers Freed of London, the winner will be announced in January 2022 and will then receive a commissioning fee of £4,000, with an additional £1,000 for material costs, to create the final painting - which will hang prominently in the new building when launched next year.

The judging panel consists of singer song-writer, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, leading portrait artist, Ralph Heimans, and, former English National Ballet dancer, Shevelle Dynott alongside RAD President, Dame Darcey Bussell.

Panel judge Sophie Ellis-Bextor says: “I am honoured to join the panel for the RAD portrait competition. As well as the great pleasure of spending time with our line-up of very talented judges from across the world of arts and dance, I am thrilled to be a part of this celebration of one of the pioneers of dance history and look forward to seeing submissions from artists all over the UK”.

Dame Darcey Bussell DBE, President, Royal Academy of Dance says: “What better way to mark this exciting moment in the RAD’s history, than with the launch of a new RAD portrait competition. I look forward to co-chairing our wonderful panel of judges and can’t wait to see, what I know will be, the exceptional and creative works that our founding member Dame Adeline Genée inspires”.

The winning artwork will join a rare portrait of co-founder and legendary ballerina, Tamara Karsavina, by Jacques Émile Blanche, which was gifted to the RAD earlier this year, continuing the founding members’ mission to inspire dancers for generations to come.

The competition launches as the RAD is just steps away from meeting our £19.5m capital fundraising target for our new global headquarters in Battersea, launching in Spring 2022. The new building will become an international home for dance, allowing us to realise the potential of the 60,000 sq ft headquarters to expand on our 100-year history of high-quality dance education to bring the transformational power of dance to more people, regardless of age, ability, or location. 

The portrait competition coincides with the launch of a dance-inspired art competition for primary schools from Battersea and across the Wandsworth Borough.

Find out more information and how to enter on our portrait competition page.

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