Paintings by Camden schoolchildren hung on the walls of an exclusive gallery alongside works by renowned professionals at a star-studded exhibition to fund art courses for disadvantaged pupils.

Children from Holy Trinity and St Silas School, in Hartland Road, Camden Town, attended the private view in Westminster last Thursday, when they mingled with celebrities, including Hampstead Garden Suburb TV presenter Jonathan Ross and pop singer Adam Ant.

The exhibition, entitled A Collaboration of Art and Photography, was the culmination of work the children had produced on 10-week courses run by charity, the Sir Hubert von Herkomer Arts Foundation, which aims to inspire underprivileged children at primary and secondary schools through the arts.

The show raised £10,000 on the night, enough to fund eight more courses in January, including one at Rhyl Primary School in Kentish Town and Regent High School in Somers Town.

Celebrity photographer Debbi Clark, the foundation’s CEO, told the Ham&High: “We try to catch their imagination. We want to help children find their way.”

Miss Clark, of Bloomsbury, continued: “They really get their teeth into it and are very enthused by the whole project. They feel like it’s something they can hold on to.

“The things they don’t have, they can express in their art, and that is what it is all about.”

Inspiration

Children who took part in the two courses in photography and watercolours, held at Holy Trinity and St Silas in May and June, were encouraged to take inspiration from their surroundings for their artworks.

As the school was undergoing renovations at the time, many pupils came up with drawings of how they would redesign their buildings.

One child imagined a grand bridge linking the classrooms with the playground so pupils could quickly go outside to play.

The pieces shared gallery space with works by acclaimed veteran photographer Terry O’Neill, Vogue snapper Iain McKell, and A-list celebrity photographer Lorenzo Agius at the 67 Pall Mall gallery.

“We wanted to encourage future donations,” said Miss Clark, 49. “If you see the works, you understand what we are doing because it’s fascinating what the children produce, and what they produce from nothing.

“The paintings we had and the drawings we got from them were absolutely incredible.”

n The exhibition runs until Sunday.