A special homecoming for Blueprint Princess Elizabeth
A blog by Alix Rusling, Co-Founder and Project Manager at The Power House Poole
Alix and Claire (Volunteer at The Power House) at the Queen Elizabeth School, Wimborne
Yesterday was a day for creativity, connection and looking back at where it all began.
Some of you may remember our Arts Council England-funded Poole Britannia! Platinum Jubilee project, delivered in partnership with The Lighthouse Poole. The signature piece, Blueprint Princess Elizabeth, was created by local artist Amanda Waite alongside students from three local secondary schools and The Power House team.
Blueprint Princess Elizabeth
Finding a new home
Four years later, the piece has found a permanent home.
We are delighted that Queen Elizabeth's School in Wimborne has accepted our donation of the artwork, where it will be proudly displayed in the school's main entrance.
The installation will take place over the summer holidays, thanks to volunteers Claire and Ben, who are helping Justin from The Lighthouse Poole, who originally installed the piece as part of our exhibition.
Celebrating identity, purpose and young people
The artwork will be officially unveiled at a special ceremony, accompanied by arts activities exploring why this particular image of the Queen as a young princess was chosen.
The project explores themes of identity, purpose and the different paths people take through life. The image of Princess Elizabeth was chosen to encourage discussion about growing up, facing expectations and finding your place in the world.
It was wonderful to meet the school's Facilities Manager, who showed us their existing Queen Elizabeth I and Queen Elizabeth II artwork, and explained the design of the sculpture at the school entrance, where the metalwork represents the Queen's signature.
Here are some photos from this project in action:
The Power House team loved creating Blueprint Princess Elizabeth together.
From working out how to create the piece within a short timeframe, to engaging with students, the project was full of creativity, collaboration and joy. The final result was something very special.
Thank you to Queen Elizabeth's School for giving this beautiful piece a new home.
Whether you're interested in creativity, gardening, wellbeing or meeting new people, we'd love to welcome you. Find out what's coming up at The Power House.