Acton Schoolchildren Contribute to Pride of England Exhibition

Derwentwater pupils feature in displays at Pitzhanger Manor

Twins Cass and Frankie with the Pride of England sculpture

January 23, 2025

Children from an Acton Primary School are featuring in a new exhibition celebrating England’s football teams.

Pride of England, which runs from 22 January to 23 February at Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery has been created with the help of pupils at Derwentwater Primary School with three of their portraits displayed alongside those of England footballing heroes.

The community-focused exhibition aims to celebrating the diversity, unity, and community legacy of both the men’s and women’s teams with a focus on their local connections. Central to the exhibition are England’s Three Lions: sculptures co-created using recycled materials by artist Matt Small with young people in from the borough, which then accompanied the England Men’s Football Team to Germany for EURO 2024.

The sculptures are now back home and are being displayed alongside new portraits of famous footballers and local school children.

Casper, aged 8, who features in the exhibition said it was “fun and exciting. I like it!” His favourite footballers are Phil Foden and QPR’s Jimmy Dunne, who he has been lucky enough to meet a few times and who was “really nice” and he finds him an inspiration as they both have Irish connections and play defence. Casper’s presence looms particularly large in the exhibition as Matt has also painted his portrait on a repurposed radiator.

Eleven-year-old Anjelica, who plays in a girls' football team, also took part in the workshop creating messages and stapling them on.

Eleven-year-old Anjelica (left) with a sculpture she helped create and eight-year-old Caspar (right) next to his portrait

Frankie, aged 10, also plays in a girls' team, so unsurprisingly, her favourite footballer is Chloe Kelly “she is a big role model for me”. She found the workshops and exhibition “Inspiring because it was about football and recycling. It gives support to the team and the feeling they can win”.

Along with her twin brother Cass, she helped write messages and did a lot of stapling. His favourite player is Phil Foden who he admires as “He is always trying his best”.

Matt Small said, "I wanted to make the lions through a collaboration with the public, so I asked Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery to help. Ealing is a very eclectic borough and for me that is its strength. Seeing a multitude of differences can be a positive thing. Harnessing those differences and appreciating the variety of views and ways of seeing the world. We can use that and find a way to work together.

“As an artist getting young people enthused with making art and seeing how art can be part of their world is exciting. We have used sport and the idea of community and contribution to make some really wonderful artworks that speak about the power of football to get everyone working together.”

Matt Small with the new portraits of Chloe Kelly and Bukayo Saka

The lions chase around the gallery surrounded by portraits of the Euro squad in 2020 and two new commissions of footballers Chloe Kelly and Bukayo Saka who have strong Ealing connections. Lioness player Kelly, who scored England’s Euro 2022 extra-time goal for a 2-1 victory over Germany, was born in Hanwell and went to school at Elthorne Park High School. While Saka, who plays for Arsenal, was born in Ealing and played youth football for Greenford Celtic and attended Greenford High School.

Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery is at Ealing Green (W5 5EQ).

It opens Wednesday to Sunday 10am–5pm, including Bank Holidays (First Thursday of the Month: 10am–8pm)

General Admission is £8 Standard / £4 Students / FREE Under 16.