London, July 1st 2025. In a bold celebration of a new major exhibition of rarely seen artworks, the National Army Museum is bringing military art to the streets of London.
As part of a high-impact, experiential activation conceived by integrated data, tech media and creative agency Anything is Possible, the Museum has commissioned a series of live art stunts this week to launch its landmark exhibition, “Myth and Reality: Military Art in the Age of Queen Victoria”. The initiative transforms the capital into a living gallery, blurring the line between past and present through immersive street presence and live portraiture.
History steps into today
Marking her pioneering role as one of the first female war artists and her groundbreaking portrayals of soldiers’ lived experience, Lady Butler was seen at the Museum and posing for her own portrait in Duke of York Square, Chelsea.
Accompanying her were fellow performers in full period costume, drawn from figures featured in the museum’s extensive collection. Together they created arresting tableaux vivant, stopping Chelsea shoppers in their tracks and drawing new audiences to military heritage through the power of live art.
Tomorrow (Wednesday, July 2nd), the spectacle continues as actors inspired by characters from Butler’s famed works “The Roll Call” and “Home Again” appear at iconic London locations, including Trafalgar Square, bringing these historic war scenes to life in dynamic, interactive form. Live artists on-site will capture the performances in real time, creating original works that will be on display later this month at the Museum.
Challenging perceptions and attracting new audiences
The campaign seeks to reposition the National Army Museum as not just a historical institution, but a vibrant cultural force. Designed to spotlight the museum’s art collection, long overshadowed by its more traditional military holdings, the activation aligns with the broader exhibition’s themes of realism, gender perspective, and the public perception of warfare during the Victorian era.
This innovative guerrilla-style approach also aims to attract a new generation of culture vultures by merging fine art, live performance, and street-level engagement.
Nikki Elvin, Assistant Director of Audiences and Engagement at the National Army Museum, said:
“This campaign invites Londoners to meet the stories behind the paintings – to see history not as a static display behind glass, but as a living, breathing narrative that continues to shape us. By evoking the raw emotion of works like Home Again, and the enduring relevance of Lady Butler’s gaze, we hope to reframe the public’s understanding of military art.”
Sam Fenton-Elstone, CEO and Co-founder, Anything is Possible, added:
“With this live activation, we’re rewriting the rules of museum marketing. Our aim was to make art public – literally. By taking Lady Butler and her subjects out of the frame and into the heart of the city, we’re amplifying the exhibition’s emotional power and forging new, real-world connections with culture.”
