AN ARTIST has been commissioned to create a new masterpiece to help mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Following an open call, Jamie Holman, from Blackburn, was selected to create the artwork to celebrate the first time in British history that a monarch has marked reached 70 year on the throne.

Taking inspiration from the Lancashire industrialists and philanthropists of the past, who donated great artworks that have lasted through the ages in galleries like the Harris, Lord Shuttleworth and a collective of local business leaders and cultural professionals have come together to commission a new artwork.

Lord Shuttleworth said: “The platinum jubilee is a unique historical occasion that allows us an opportunity to express our thanks for 70 years of continuous service to the nation.

“Not only has it provided great constitutional stability but also defined our nation to the world.

“The commissioning of this great artwork will give the people of Lancashire a legacy to celebrate this major event.”

Mr Holman, who attended Blackburn College, will record 70 people, all of whom are aged 70 and have been alive as long as the Queen has been on the throne.

By recording their memories, he will produce a ‘beautiful, poetic multi-channel soundscape installation’ that tells the story of the Queen’s reign, diverse Lancastrian communities and the extraordinary individuals who best remember her lifetime of service.

He will thread their stories, as told by them, with archive footage to create a narrative that will accompany seven large tapestries, each depicting 10 years of the monarch’s service to her people.

Mr Holman said: “As an artist I’ve found myself interrogating history through the lens of personal narratives, whether that’s through my now personal ancestry, or a unique story of an individual who has stood against the odds.

“I find ways to tell that story or question the beliefs an era has left as a legacy.

“Often my work explores working class stories, so this is a totally new venture for me.

“I want to make this a capsule of more than our monarch’s 70 years - but for 70 years of her people.”

The footage and the narrative will be available internationally and will accompany the tapestries that will be hung in a place yet to be decided in Lancashire for all to enjoy.

The artworks will be sponsored by public donation and sponsorship.