An unprecedented collection of wildlife art called Sketch for Survival will go on view for the very first time in Norwich at the Norwich School Crypt Gallery, Cathedral Close, Norwich NR1 4DH on World Rhino Day, from 10am on Friday 22 September, until 4pm on Saturday 23 September before moving on to London and Bath later in the month.

The collection has been put together by Norfolk based charity, The Real Africa Trust, to raise awareness about the threats to iconic species, including rhino and elephant. All artwork is also available to purchase via online auction powered by iRostrum until 15 October 2017 with all profits being donated to conservation projects pivotal in the battle to save them:

The David Sheldrick Wildife Trust (DSWT) was set up by Dame Daphne Sheldrick, DBE in memory of her late husband David in 1977, and works at field level in Kenya for the protection and conservation of wildlife and wild habitats. The DSWT has pioneered hand-raising orphaned baby elephants with the Orphans' project receiving world-wide acclaim. Funding from the Real Africa Trust campaign will help DSWT continue their valuable work.

Norfolk based Animals saving Animals (ASA) is a small organisation founded by expert canine handler Daryll Pleasants. ASA works alongside conservation organisations to assist in the prevention of wildlife crime through providing anti-poaching dogs and training to conservancies and national parks. With the help of Real Africa Trust funding ASA will train and deploy a team of two triple role dogs to Botswana's World Heritage Okavango Delta to help keep newly relocated black and white rhino safe from poachers, part of a huge project by Rhino Conservation Botswana as well as a new tracking dog for the not for profit Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya, home to the last three northern white rhinos in the world.

At the heart of the Sketch for Survival collection are wonderful original artworks generously donated by leading international wildlife artists, as Sara White from the Real Africa Trust explains, “Artwork has been arriving from all around the world – one day it was an elephant from Australia, the next a cheetah from France and a buffalo from Japan. At the height of Hurricane Harvey, we even had a zebra arrive all the way from Houston. We've been overwhelmed by the response from the art community and now have artwork from celebrated artists across a dozen countries. Katy Jade Dobson, Anne London, Atsu Harada, Karen Laurence Rowe, Pip McGarry, Tom Lazic, Pollyanna Pickering and Gary Hodges among them.”

“Gifted illustrators have also donated work to enrich our collection which now exceeds 150 pieces - from Jim Kay, who has famously illustrated the new Harry Potter editions, to Alex Williams whose witty Queen's Counsel cartoons appear regularly in the Times newspaper.”

“We are also incredibly thankful to have the support of so many celebrities, from Dame Judi Dench who donated a watercolour, to actor Stephen Fry, international cricketer Kevin Pietersen and many explorers, Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Colonel John Blashford-Snell and Levison Wood among them. All have generously put pen, paint or pencil to paper this summer to help us raise awareness about species extinction.”

The Trust originally approached artists and high profile individuals back in the Spring, requesting only a simple 15 minute sketch of any endangered wildlife to help them in their mission, as Sara White says, “15 was chosen as a significant number.  In recent years elephants have been killed for their ivory at a rate as high as one every 15 minutes. That's 100 a day. Of the five species of rhino, three are critically endangered including the African Black Rhino. Lion too face a battle for survival, disappearing from at least 12 African countries. We wanted to highlight these shocking statistics.”

The Sketch for Survival exhibition and sale of artwork is part of a wider wildlife conservation campaign called Explorers against Extinction which culminates with an event at the Royal Geographical Society in London on 12 October with Sir Ranulph Fiennes OBE, Colonel John Blashford-Snell OBE and other special guests. The Sketch for Survival collection will be exhibited on the night, with Sotheby's Deputy Director and specialist in contemporary art Tom Eddison on hand to lend his expertise. 

Guests can enjoy an entertaining evening fusing travel and wildlife. The UK public premiere of the DSWT 40th anniversary film will be screened on the night, as well as a presentation by ASA's Daryll Pleasants with some of his FrontlineK9s, assisted by Neil Aldridge from Rhino Conservation Botswana.

Tickets £20-£100 from Ticket Source.

For further information contact Sara White sara@realafrica.co.uk.