Decorate Tate Britain with bunting for Thank You Day

Tate Britain’s façade is today covered with 600 metres of bunting, specially decorated by schoolchildren and Tate visitors as part of the Together Coalition’s nationwide Thank You Day to celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee. Over the half-term school holiday from 28 May to 5 June, everyone is invited to join free family-friendly workshops at Tate Britain to make their own bunting, which they can add to the gallery’s decorations or take home for their own celebrations.

Thank You Day is on 5 June 2022, the Sunday of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend, and is designed to bring together friends, families, neighbours and communities to say thank you to each other. Schools across the UK have been invited to take part in the day, with each child designing their own piece of bunting with their own special message for someone they would like to thank. Their creations will help bring the whole country to life for the Jubilee by decorating everything from bandstands and community halls to railway stations and hospital wards. The project is being led by the Together Coalition, which includes some of Britain’s biggest organisations, institutions and businesses, from the NHS, The National Lottery Community Fund and the FA, to the Royal Voluntary Service, the Scouts and the Church of England.

Alex Farquharson, Director of Tate Britain, said:

“Art is something to be enjoyed by everyone - it can bring us together and give us the tools we need to express ourselves - so it’s great to see children’s creativity being placed at the heart of Thank You Day celebrations. Here at Tate Britain we are delighted to host some of the designs which have been made so far, and we look forward to adding even more over the coming week.”

Brendan Cox of the Together Coalition, said:

“Thank You Day is all about bringing people together – and Tate’s family workshops are a brilliant way of doing exactly that. Seeing Tate Britain decorated in thank you day bunting really brings home what the day is all about. Children and communities all across the country have shown the rest of us the way – saying thanks to the people that matter to them as loudly and proudly as possible.

“It doesn’t matter who you are or what you do, young or old, expert or beginner, there are opportunities for us all to come together over something we enjoy for Thank You Day. So whether it’s art or sport or just a big jubilee lunch with friends and neighbours it’s never too late to get involved.”

Tate Britain’s free drop-in workshops will be held from 11.00 to 16.00 and will take place every day from Saturday 28 May to Sunday 5 June. Activity packs for schools can be found online at thankyouday.org.uk, including a guide for creating your own bunting.