Historic England is calling on people across the South East to share images that document their experience of 7 days in lockdown.
10 contemporary artists from across the nation, including 2 based in the South East, have also been chosen to produce special images over the week.
From rainbows in windows and star jumps on balconies, to explorations of your local area, Historic England is asking people the South East to share images via their website that show how we are all facing the challenges of lockdown, self-isolation and social distancing.
Running from Wednesday 29th April to Tuesday 5th May, the aim of the #PicturingLockdown project is to create a unique and reflective record of a week across the nation during this extraordinary moment in history. Historic England wants to spark a conversation about identity and its connection to history and place.
Claudia Kenyatta, Head of Regions at Historic England said:
“We are facing one of the most extraordinary moments in living memory. During this time of necessary lockdown restrictions, we are asking the public and some of our most talented contemporary artists to help us record history, whilst being careful to abide by the government’s social distancing measures.
“We want people to show us their experiences of lockdown, how places local to them have transformed, communities have come together, and life has changed for us all. These challenging times are encouraging us all to pause and reflect upon our relationship with our surroundings. We hope this project inspires creativity and reflection, allowing the public to create a unique time capsule for the future.”
The Archive
100 of the images submitted by the public and artists will be chosen to enter the Historic England Archive to provide a record for the future. Of the submissions from the public, the 50 most evocative, informative and inspiring images will combine with 50 works from 10 contemporary artists into a Collection. These will be catalogued by the Historic England Archive and will be made freely accessible online.
This is the first time the public have been asked to capture a moment in time and save it in the Historic England Archive of over 12 million photographs since the Second World War.
Historic England is asking the public to keep to social distancing measures when taking part in this project and only go outside for food, health reasons or for work if you cannot work from home.
One hopes BOTH sides of the lockdown will be illustrated, not just images of home baking, gardening, and children playing nicely.
The other side is neighbours playing loud music, shouting and swearing at their feral children, tensions between partners arguing sitting outside whilst dope smoke pervades the otherwise fresh spring air, dogs barking all day, things we never noticed so much whilst at work.
Others have to put up with the constant banging, hammering, power tools, mowers, strimmer’s, from those private tenants who unlike the former, have to maintain their own properties, and with most being home and bored are building decking, sheds, repairing fences etc.
All tolerable in small doses, but after days of beautiful unique Spring weather, tiresome after a few days of lock down.
Although must be worse if you have no garden at all.
Hard to illustrate, but reality for many now I am afraid.
I would hate for anything which is going to be recorded for future generations to biased one way or the other.
Perfectly put jay
In some places though, if you recorded outside on any day, it would be impossible to see any difference between now and a ‘normal’ day, so many people out in the streets and so much traffic on the roads, most people seeing it would ask what the difference was because they wouldn’t be able to see any. The only thing they might notice is quite a few windows have rainbows in them, but apart from that, certainly life in Ryde seems the same, just a bit quieter at night in the streets, and a lot of shops closed in the High Street, but apart from that. My road is just as busy as it always is.
Can I write about how lonely all this has been for me? When I go out on my mobility scooter rather than seeing people laugh and smile, now what I see is people walk across the other side of the street to avoid me, in fear of them getting the virus. Can I write about how some people have over reacted to this virus which and left me being shouted at by a shop worker in a supermarket? Or about yesterday when the staff would not let me in the store with my helper. I could not take my scooter into the store as is it not disabled friendly.
However as they refused to help me they had no choice but to let my helper in. The store were only letting one person in, even though it was a big store.
Can write about all my appointments that have been canceled even an operation.
I cannot renew my glasses nor visit the dentists. It takes four months for my boots to be made due to a shortage in orthotics now its taken 7 months.
How about trying to phone the stores for delivery’s and you have no chance of getting through to them or they are not doing deliveries. So I have no choice but to go to he shops and then all the hassle like the above?
Can I write about the comments that some people have writing stating people like me should go outside and get the virus and die. Yes not only once but four times that was allowed in the comments.
Also the comments towards people over 70. They are allowed out to do their shopping or to excise unless they have signs of the virus or have health problems that make them more susceptible towards the virus. There is many over 70s who are in good health and are allowed out. Yet you would not think so by some of the comments I have seen here. Some over 70s live alone and do not have any help at all, what are they suppose to do? Live off the food food parcel that they might receive? Have you seen whats in the food parcel?
I wonder if this will be published?
What all this has shown me…
Abandonment , confused by the mixed message’s in the media, a scap goat for many of the wrongs in the UK. I feel Sad. I miss the smiles and laughter on the streets. I miss the human connection.
I could cry.
There is no picture that I can do, that would describe in how I feel about this lock down.
Baboshka
They say a picture paints a thousand words, but you have done the opposite, and very well imo.
Sorry it is hard for you and many are feeling desperate for so many reasons.
I hope some of the artists can paint the truth rather than just positive images, as that would be unrealistic for many as you have well illustrated by your own honest words.
I’ll do it and tell you about my day, working non stop, and not from home, nor do I work for the nhs, which is getting rather annoying. It started off clapping then bloody pan bashing now fireworks, yeah that’s good scaring animals hey…. Fools…. In fact, I feel no different as nothing has changed for me. I’m not bitter, just has made my eyes open even wider to the human race… To me it’s an excuse for slobbish fools using this time to screw the system as normal. If you work from home, say a teacher then fare play… But those who have a cold and NOT the virus should be made to revoke the hours from their annual holiday balance and be disciplined accordingly. Basically, this virus shows the WEAK in society, the spongers who steal our oxygen. You got more chance of dying from an exploding turd than this virus and because of those inadequate fools whom have created mass hysteria, you have caused the downfall of British businesses, amongst other more pressing issues like abuse in the home place. So, who wants to hear my weekly story!!!! Ps; I can’t wait for the backlash bring it in sweethearts, let’s see what creatures arise, “more are dying than your predictions of an exploding turd – bla bla bla…” Or, “we had no choice to stay home whilst my work friends worked on as I have a condition that put me in the bracket, called I’m fat with diabetes caused by my eating problem,” and the list goes on. Chow for now # The Doc x