CHARACTERS from across Dudley and Sandwell will have real-life portraits of themselves captured by 24 artists in an exciting new Cradley Heath-led project.

The Character Portraits Project, which is being funded by Arts Council England, begins on Friday (June 1) and will tour 24 sites in the two boroughs, giving local people the opportunity to see the portraits being created and speak with the artists and their character models to find out more about portrait art and working in the voluntary sector.

The two dozen characters taking part have either been nominated by Dudley Council for Voluntary Services or by Sandwell MBC in recognition of the contributions they each make as volunteers in their community.

In addition, four characters will also have their life stories written into poems and songs by 2 professional writers as part of the project with live performances given by actors.

The project is being led by members of Midland Film and Art (MFAA) from their base at The Art Yard, in Reddal Hill Road, and launches at 10am at Cradley Heath Library this Friday.

The character model will be Trevor Purcell who has been nominated by his local Rowley Regis councillors in recognition of his voluntary sector work, while his artist will be Warren McCabe-Smith, Chairman of MFAA, who will capture Trevor’s real-life portrait using acrylic paints and inks.

The following day the project begins in Dudley Library at 10am, where Guy Holness will model for Martyn Harris who is a classically trained artist and work. Guy is a keen cyclist and will sit for his portrait shortly before leaving on an extended cycle tour of Europe.

Harry Bloomer, who is leading the project for MFAA, said: “Artists who regularly exhibit their work at The Art Yard in Cradley Heath asked to be involved in creating real-life portraits of people known in communities throughout Sandwell and Dudley.

“They felt that capturing the images of well-known local volunteers would not only help to recognise what those volunteers give to their communities but would also provide a unique source of heritage imagery created by local artists for future generations to celebrate the volunteers’ achievements.”

The 24 artists chosen to create the portraits, who will be using a wide range of media, include professional and internationally renowned artists, art tutors, art graduates, gifted amateurs and students.

The project will end with a premiere event attended by all participants and their guests held at the Salvation Army Hall in Cradley Heath in September 2018.

The premiere will showcase the completed portraits, with performances of character poems and movie screenings, and will be followed by an exhibition of the portraits at The Art Yard which will be open to the public for one week in October 2018.

The art collection will be divided into two legacy portrait collections for Dudley and Sandwell, with DCVS intending to house the Dudley collection at DY1 volunteers’ hub in Stafford Street to acknowledge the work done by community volunteers and to inspire anyone thinking of becoming a volunteer, while Sandwell Libraries intend to tour their legacy portraits collection and to exhibit it at all 19 Sandwell libraries to celebrate community volunteer working.

For more information visit www.mfaa.co.uk/portrai or search The Art Yard on Facebook.