Be Illustrated for Buttercrumble’s Leeds 400 Drawathon
To celebrate Leeds400 and mark 400 years since the city’s charter was signed, Buttercrumble will embark on an ambitious creative project, illustrating 400 portraits across the city. Over the course of March 2026, we’ll host a drawathon, setting up in diverse locations to capture the faces that make Leeds unique.
Why? We have a lot to thank Leeds for! Buttercrumble’s co-founders (Chloe and Abigail) studied at the University of Leeds and were awarded an enterprise scholarship to grow the business. Shortly after graduation, we were invited by Fred Aldous to illustrate portraits in their Leeds store.
Since then, the studio has illustrated thousands of portraits! We have had the pleasure of illustrating for John Lewis & Partners and Seasalt Cornwall (to name just a couple of brands). We now want to extend our invitation to the residents of Leeds.
We will be hosting our activation at several locations across the city. Please keep an eye out for news on these!
We also want to ensure this activation is as accessible as possible, so we will be inviting residents to submit their portraits digitally. We will then illustrate these images on Monday 9th of March 2026. On this date, we will stream the artwork being created, and this will be available to watch here.
About Leeds400
2026 marks a remarkable milestone as we celebrate 400 years of the city of Leeds. Leeds received its first Royal Charter in 1626, marking the beginning of the journey towards city status.
Now, 400 years on, Leeds City Council and partners will be celebrating the rich history of Leeds and looking towards a vibrant future. Individuals, organisations and communities will be coming together for a year-long celebration of the best of what makes Leeds a fantastic city for sport, heritage, culture, learning, communities, innovation and the future.
Questions?
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If you live within the Leeds City Region, we would love to invite you to receive a portrait. Please submit your photograph within the form (or visit us at an upcoming event) to be drawn.
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Portraits will be created digitally. You will receive an image file via email once we’ve completed your illustration. The drawathon will take place across March 2026.
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Once your portrait has been illustrated and delivered to you (via email), we will delete your photograph from our records. For more information, please view our Privacy Policy: buttercrumble.com/privacy-policy
All portraits will be compiled into one large artwork. This final body of work will form a striking visual archive of Leeds in its 400th year — a tribute to its people, culture, and spirit.
If you have any further questions, please do get in touch. We’re here to help!
Receive a digital portrait
To receive a portrait during a streamathon date (Monday 9th of March 2026), please submit your details below. By submitting your details, you agree to receiving communication about your portrait from Buttercrumble.