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| Celebrities strike a pose from home for Sky Arts portrait painting show | Celebrities strike a pose from home for Sky Arts portrait painting show |
| (1 day later) | |
| Programme invites audiences to submit work to take part in the show’s new weekly format | |
| The dancer and choreographer Akram Khan is not known for sitting still, but he will have to this weekend because he has invited anyone, from anywhere, to paint him in his own home. | The dancer and choreographer Akram Khan is not known for sitting still, but he will have to this weekend because he has invited anyone, from anywhere, to paint him in his own home. |
| Khan is the first sitter for a live and experimental version of one of Sky Arts’ most popular shows, Portrait Artist of the Year. | Khan is the first sitter for a live and experimental version of one of Sky Arts’ most popular shows, Portrait Artist of the Year. |
| Because of the coronavirus lockdown, producers are inviting celebrity sitters to pose, with audiences being invited to paint them from home. The public can submit their finished work and the best will be showcased by judges. | Because of the coronavirus lockdown, producers are inviting celebrity sitters to pose, with audiences being invited to paint them from home. The public can submit their finished work and the best will be showcased by judges. |
| “The thought of being still is horrendous for me,” Khan admitted, prior to his four-hour stint for week one of the show. “As a child, my teachers would be so frustrated they would say: ‘If he could just sit still and focus, because the intelligence is there.’” | “The thought of being still is horrendous for me,” Khan admitted, prior to his four-hour stint for week one of the show. “As a child, my teachers would be so frustrated they would say: ‘If he could just sit still and focus, because the intelligence is there.’” |
| Then there is the prospect of seeing the results. “I’m very happy to see other versions of myself because you always see yourself in the way you want people to see you. It’s going to be fascinating. I’m excited and terrified at the same time.” | Then there is the prospect of seeing the results. “I’m very happy to see other versions of myself because you always see yourself in the way you want people to see you. It’s going to be fascinating. I’m excited and terrified at the same time.” |
| The new Facebook version of the show will be presented by regular host Joan Bakewell while Christabel Blackburn, the winner of the most recent series, will paint Khan live from her home. She will offer tips and interact in real time with questions from the public. | The new Facebook version of the show will be presented by regular host Joan Bakewell while Christabel Blackburn, the winner of the most recent series, will paint Khan live from her home. She will offer tips and interact in real time with questions from the public. |
| It is due to run for four weeks every Sunday with future celebrity sitters yet to be named. | It is due to run for four weeks every Sunday with future celebrity sitters yet to be named. |
| Philip Edgar-Jones, the director of Sky Arts, said the painting programme was popular for the same reason as The Great British Bake Off. | Philip Edgar-Jones, the director of Sky Arts, said the painting programme was popular for the same reason as The Great British Bake Off. |
| “People like to watch people who are good at stuff, doing it really well and pick up tips along the way,” he said. “When we first commissioned it there were people in the office saying: ‘Why is there a programme about watching paint dry? That can’t possibly be interesting.’” | “People like to watch people who are good at stuff, doing it really well and pick up tips along the way,” he said. “When we first commissioned it there were people in the office saying: ‘Why is there a programme about watching paint dry? That can’t possibly be interesting.’” |
| Sky Arts had experienced a 55% increase in viewing since the lockdown started, Edgar-Jones said, and would begin making a number of programmes available free on the Sky TV YouTube channel from Friday. | Sky Arts had experienced a 55% increase in viewing since the lockdown started, Edgar-Jones said, and would begin making a number of programmes available free on the Sky TV YouTube channel from Friday. |
| There will be a weekly package of content made available for a limited time, including concerts by the Bee Gees and Queen; and episodes of documentaries including Treasures of the British Library. | There will be a weekly package of content made available for a limited time, including concerts by the Bee Gees and Queen; and episodes of documentaries including Treasures of the British Library. |
| Edgar-Jones said it was part of a mission to make the arts more accessible. | Edgar-Jones said it was part of a mission to make the arts more accessible. |
| • The subheading of this article was amended on 24 April 2020 because the audience’s submitted artwork will not be judged for the Portrait Artist of the Year award as an earlier version said. This has been corrected. |