LONDON — As the world copes with the coronavirus pandemic, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and Britain's National Portrait Gallery are asking residents of the United Kingdom to share their photos for a lockdown-inspired community art project.
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According to the gallery’s website, the effort, dubbed “Hold Still,” will feature 100 photographic portraits submitted by U.K. residents in a digital exhibition that “captures the spirit, mood, hopes, fears and feelings” of the public during the outbreak. Later this year, some of the photos also will be shown around the country.
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“We’ve all been struck by some of the incredible images we’ve seen which have given us an insight into the experiences and stories of people across the country – some desperately sad images showing the human tragedy of this pandemic and other uplifting pictures showing people coming together to support those more vulnerable,” the duchess, formerly known as Kate Middleton, told ITV. "'Hold Still’ aims to capture a portrait of the nation, the spirit of the nation, what everyone is going through at this time. Photographs reflecting resilience, bravery, kindness – all those things that people are experiencing.”
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Photographers of "all ages and abilities" may participate in the project, which is free to enter, the website adds. Residents can submit photos, which "must involve people," on the gallery's website until June 18.
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“The images can be captured on phones or cameras and each image will be assessed on the emotion and experience it conveys rather than its photographic quality or technical expertise,” Kensington Palace said in an Instagram post Thursday.
The palace also encouraged residents to post their photos on Instagram using the hashtag #HoldStill2020 and the tag @KensingtonRoyal.
As of Thursday morning, the United Kingdom had reported at least 202,359 coronavirus cases – the fourth-highest number worldwide – and 30,150 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.
