The Great Portrait Makeover
Friday 21 February 2025, 10:30 – 15:30
Free with Gallery ticket
The Courtauld Gallery and Leon Kossoff Learning Centre
Let yourself be inspired by our artists and use your imagination to become a portrait revolutionary for the day.
Pick up a trail when you arrive at the Gallery and go on a hunt to discover our collection of portraits. You might find old friends and also some new! Then join us in our Leon Kossoff Learning Centre to give your favourite portrait an unusual makeover using paint, collage techniques and eclectic craft materials. What will you add? What will you alter? All materials will be provided. Just bring your imaginations and creative ideas.
Trails are available to pick up in the gallery from 10:00.
This trail is included with Gallery Entry. Tickets to The Courtauld Gallery are available to purchase on our website or in person at the ticket desk. Under 18s go free. Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
The Leon Kossoff Learning Centre will be open from 10:30 – 15:30. Please note at busy times we may have to ask you to wait for a space to become available.
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Family Fridays in school holidays 2025
10:30 – 15:30, Friday 3 January
10:30 – 15:30, Friday 21 February
10:30 – 15:30, Friday 11 April
10:30 – 15:30, Friday 18 April
10:30 – 15:30, Friday 30 May
10:30 – 15:30, Friday 25 July
10:30 – 15:30, Friday 1 August
10:30 – 15:30, Friday 8 August
10:30 – 15:30, Friday 15 August
10:30 – 15:30, Friday 22 August
10:30 – 15:30, Friday 29 August
Free with your Gallery tickets
Meet a member of our Learning team in the Entrance Hall at The Courtauld. Try out our Family Backpack, pick up one of our self-led trails, or take a clipboard, pencil and paper and enjoy sketching.
The Courtauld Family Backpack takes children on an intriguing multi-sensory journey through European Art 1400-1800 on Floor 2. The backpack contains five individual bags for children to explore pigments, textiles, a bitten apple (why?), a soundscape and smells, all relating to paintings and objects in the collection.
“The trail and the sensory bags are beautifully put together and really helped our children explore the beautiful collection.”
“Really accessible for children”
“Treasure hunt fun in each room”
Want to find out more? Join us on a Family Friday. You can view The Family Backpack booklet here.
Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times. The objects contained within the backpack are not suitable for children under three years old.
Book your visit
The Courtauld welcomes family visitors and offers regular holiday activities, self-led trails and activity sheets to enjoy at home.
Children under the age of 18 are free at The Courtauld and our family activities are free of charge with one adult ticket. Other concessions apply, including universal credit and teachers.
To help plan your visit, further information can be found here: Plan your visit – The Courtauld and Gallery accessibility – The Courtauld.
Please note, there are five steps from the Entrance Hall to the main lift. For step-free access to the main lift, there is a platform lift from the Ticket Hall; ask a member of staff who will be happy to assist you. Visitors can take prams with them and there is limited space for prams to be left in the Ticket Hall by arrangement on arrival. Please note that children must be supervised at all times. There are steep stairs at The Courtauld.
Baby changing facilities are provided in all the toilets on the Lower Ground Floor.
We welcome sketching in the gallery, but please check Gallery Policies – The Courtauld for information on materials that are not permitted
In addition to the Courtauld’s Art Café, there is plenty of outdoor seating in the public piazza on the Strand, should you wish to bring a packed lunch.
Please email katty.morgan@courtauld.ac.uk for more information about Family events and activities at The Courtauld.
Free family trail: Animals!
Let friendly animals and mythical beasts guide you through our collection as you find out about the symbolism behind Courtauld creatures and capture some animals to take home. Each booklet contains clues and questions and space for sketching to help you explore our gallery spaces.
Collect Animals! from the Ticket Desk (free with an adult ticket). Colouring pencils available. You can view Animals! here.
Share a photo of your creations with us Twitter: @TheCourtauld and Instagram: @Courtauld #MyCourtauld
Book your visit
Free family trail: The Great Portrait Makeover
Let yourself be inspired by our artists and use your imagination to become a portrait revolutionary. Pick up The Great Portrait Makeover Trail from the Ticket Desk (free with an adult ticket) when you arrive and go on a hunt to discover our collection of portraits. You might find old friends and also some new!
Enjoy our at home activity sheet to give your favourite portrait an unusual makeover using paint, collage techniques and eclectic craft materials.
Please note that Portrait with a Man with an Open Book is currently on loan.
Book your visit
Can you listen to a painting?
We worked with Nicolette Macleod to create a soundscape for Landscape by Moonlight by Rubens. You will find it in our Family Backpack, available in the gallery on Family Fridays in school holidays. You can also listen from home, or wherever you are! Are you sitting comfortably?
Look at the painting whilst listening to the soundscape.
Call out or write down what you hear as you hear it.
Listen again and add some describing words.
Make a poem about the painting using these prompts:
I see…
I hear…
I smell…
I feel…
I taste…
At home activities
See below for a range of family activity sheets that explore artworks from our collection and beyond. Use these to create your own work of art and share it with us at #MyCourtauld
