Category: Helen

Categories Appearances Damian Lewis Events Gallery Helen Personal and Family Life Poetry Readings

Damian Lewis Reads From ‘A Poet for Every Day of the Year’ In Honor of Helen McCrory

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A Poetry Dedication to Commemorate Helen McCrory

by Gingersnap | damian-lewis.com | January 25, 2022

On Tuesday, January 25, 2022 guests gathered for a live poetry reading dedicated to the late, great Helen McCrory.  Allie Esiri, author of her latest installment A Poet for Every Day of the Year, curated the night’s event at the Lyttelton venue of National Theatre in London. From 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. a variety of readers took to the stage to read verse from the new anthology, including Damian Lewis, Lesley Sharp, Fay Ripley, Simon Russell Beale and Danny Sapani with 900+ audience members in attendance, together with Damian and Helen’s children Manon and Gulliver and family friend Helena Bonham Carter.

Damian introduced the evening as he shared an anecdote about the origins of the expression ‘stealing somebody’s thunder,’ which apparently comes from the failed playwright John Dennis in 1709. Damian remarked that nobody could steal Helen’s thunder on stage:

“This evening is dedicated to her and it’s perfect, because Helen loved the National Theatre. One person whose thunder would absolutely not be stolen was Helen McCrory.”

Helen thought poetry mattered and supported Allie Esiri’s passionate determination to make it a part of our daily lives. Curator and Author Allie Esiri said,

“We dedicated the evening to Helen and Damian said a few words, but we just wanted to get on and do the show. It’s what she would have told us to do – OK, enough already, get on with the show!”

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Categories Appearances Damian Lewis Events Helen Personal and Family Life Poetry Readings

A Poet for Every Day of the Year at the National Theatre

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A Poetry Reading Dedicated to Helen

by Staff | National Theatre | January 16, 2022

Damian, Allie and Helen at A Poem for Every Day of the Year at the National Theatre in November 2018. Allie organized the event and Helen was one of the readers.

Following the success of previous poetry reading evenings at the National Theatre, Allie Esiri is back on January 25, 2022 for a fifth year with a show based on her latest anthology; A Poet for Every Day of the Year. We will journey through a calendar year, highlighting key moments and dates with poetry from some of the world’s greatest verse writers, read by some of our leading actors. This event is dedicated to Helen McCrory, who took part in some of these poetry evenings in previous years. Allie Esiri and Damian Lewis will be joined onstage by friends including Simon Russell Beale, Fay Ripley and Lesley Sharp.

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Categories Charity Helen Personal and Family Life Philanthropy

The Helen McCrory Studio Theatre

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“Be yourself. Comparisons are odious. To thine own self be true.”

by Gingersnap | damian-lewis.com | November 24, 2021

Photo: Debbi Clark – Sir HvH Arts Instagram

Damian Lewis, patron of Sir HvH Arts Foundation was in attendance for the official opening of The Helen McCrory Studio Theatre at Francis Holland School Regent’s Park (FHS). The grand opening of the Art, Drama and Music studios was held on Tuesday November 23, 2021 from 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm. The drama studio theatre is in honor of the late Sir HvH Arts Foundation patron Helen McCrory, who made an invaluable contribution to Drama at FHS.

Guests were given guided group tours of the new facilities where FHS students showcased the high caliber of work they produce during their art, drama and music lessons. In The Helen McCrory Studio Theatre, students performed costume rehearsals for the upcoming performance of Jane Eyre at the Steiner Theatre. Helen devoted much time and passion to HvH Arts, with Francis Holland School Regent’s Park being one of the foundation’s main sponsors over the years.

For more information about the foundation, visit Sir HvH Arts website here.

Categories Appearances Audio Events Helen Personal and Family Life Poetry Readings

Damian Lewis and Helen McCrory’s Love Poetry Performance Rediscovered

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Cheltenham Literature Festival Revisited

by Andrew Holgate | The Sunday Times | October 9, 2021

There have been some great Cheltenham Literature Festival moments over the years – Hilary Clinton in 2017, looking back on her presidential defeat the year before; a 92-year-old David Attenborough charming the audience in 2018. But surely one of the most electric hours in the festival’s history came in 2014, with the appearance on stage of the married couple Damian Lewis and Helen McCrory.

Here consists of a recording that was thought to have been lost, an electric performance at the 2014 Times and Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival – one of the most memorable in the festival’s history – by Damian and Helen of love poems from the poetry collection The Love Book edited by Allie Esiri.

Earlier this summer, Damian rediscovered a recording of the event, which he offers here now to listeners as a tribute to his wife. To hear the recording in full, click here.

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Categories Charity Gallery Helen Personal and Family Life Philanthropy

Damian Lewis Supports BGC Charity Day 2021

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On the Trading Floor for CureEB and HvH Arts Foundation

by Gingersnap | damian-lewis.com | September 10, 2021

Damian makes trading look easy as he participates in the 17th annual BGC Charity Day 2021 on Friday, September 10, 2021 at Canary Wharf located at One Churchill Place in London, England for CureEB and the Sir Hubert von Herkomer Arts Foundation. He was among other celebrities, including Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, helping raise money for various charities ahead of the 20th anniversary of 9/11. The annual Charity Day supports BGC Partners and it’s affiliated companies Cantor Fitzgerald and GFI Group and all profits made on trades today will go to charities including Blood Cancer UK, Help for Heroes, The Pret Foundation and Wellbeing for Women. In addition to BGC’s offices in London, Charity Day 2021 took place across the firm’s international offices including, New York, London, Paris, Singapore, Hong Kong, Sao Paulo and Sydney.

To view more photos of the event, please visit our Gallery here. We will add more photos as they come in throughout the day. Please check back! In addition, Damian was a guest on today’s edition of Ian King Live for Sky News. See  three videos of the segment below, plus two additional videos from HvH Arts:

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Categories Charity Helen Personal and Family Life Philanthropy Summertime

Damian Lewis Attends Summer Exhibition Festival for Sir HvH Arts Foundation

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Lockdown Exodus and A Brave New World

by Gingersnap | damian-lewis.com | April 13, 2021

Ambassador and now Patron Damian Lewis joined the Sir HvH Arts Foundation Summer Exhibition Festival production in London on Monday, August 30, 2021 for the ‘Lockdown Exodus’ exhibition that celebrated young people’s work in art, music and photography, and a performance by ‘A Brave New World’ visual arts theatre dance production by talented young artists. Throughout the day the project hosted taster workshops with their artists in residence in fashion deconstruction, tie-dye, screen printing, oils, acrylics on canvas, and photography. About a hundred community families gathered to see the musical performances, as well as art and photography produced by youth who had taken part in free sessions funded by donations and Camden Council. Up to 60 youngsters a day had been taking part in projects over the summer.

Ambassadors Sadie Frost and Michael Palin were also in attendance, who mentored young people for a film they made during lockdown called Isolation Stories. Students were also directed by the charity’s artists in residence, Selina Giles and Lily Alice Clark, and actor Peter Youngblood-Hills offered mentoring sessions.

The event was also held to remember former patron Helen McCrory. Debbi Clark, CEO and Founder of Sir HvH Arts Foundation has set up the “McCrory Award” in her honor, which will be dedicated to supporting disadvantaged children and young people who are gifted in their art, yet many do not have access to the resources or training to fulfill their potential. According to Hampstead Highgate Express, Debbi Clark stated Helen would always be a patron of the charity and was still with them “in spirit.”

View more photos in our Gallery here.
For more information about Sir HvH Arts Foundation and how you can donate, please visit their website here
Primary Source: Camden New Journal
Secondary Source: Hampstead Highgate Express

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Categories Charity Helen Narrator Personal and Family Life Philanthropy Tributes

Damian Lewis Narrates Helen McCrory’s Speech for Graduates

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UCS Hampstead as Sir HvH Arts Foundation Patron

Source: UCS Hampstead | Twitter | June 30, 2021
Source: Sir HvH Arts | Instagram | June 30, 2021

On Wednesday, June 30, 2021, the University College School Hampstead’s graduation began proceedings by remembering Helen McCrory and her powerful message to pupils in 2018 with a narration of her speech by Damian today, speaking to the graduates remotely. UCS Hampstead supports Sir HvH Arts Foundation with their outreach, a foundation near and dear to Helen and now Damian is the Patron for Sir HvH Arts.  For more information about Helen’s UCS speech back in 2018, click here. In 2016, Damian and Helen attended an art exhibition showcasing UCS student’s artwork, chatting with them as well. Read more about that here.

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