LONDON.- In the wake of Brexit and the midst of the coronavirus crisis,
Portrait of Britain 2020 — the fifth anniversary of the national photography award — celebrates the many faces of modern Britain at a momentous time in our history.
Set to comprise one of the largest exhibitions of contemporary portrait photography ever held, the winning portraits have been selected by industry-leading judges including Simon Bainbridge, Editorial Director of British Journal of Photography, Martin Usbourne, co-founder of Hoxton Mini Press and Parveen Narowalia, Digital Picture Editor at British Vogue.
The exhibition will launch on JCDecaux UK ’s nationwide network of digital Out-of-Home screens on 1 September, displaying the 100 winning images throughout the month in rail stations and shopping malls, on high streets and digital bus shelter screens, and beyond. For the first time, the campaign will be displayed programmatically via the Scoota DSP & VIOOH Exchange. Programmatic Digital Out-of-Home will enable the winning portraits to be broadcast efficiently across the country, at moments that matter, to the communities they matter to.
The 200 shortlisted images will be published in the Portrait of Britain book, Vol. 3, published by Hoxton Mini Press and distributed worldwide from 1 October.
From ballerinas and Black Lives Matter protestors to carers and karate teams — lovers and lifeboat crew to bell-ringers and brides — the fifth anniversary edition of Portrait of Britain sews a rich tapestry of our nation’s people in all their vigour and diversity.
“Since the end of WWII Britain has been through a sustained and accelerated period of change. Our society is barely recognisable, and in many ways, Britain is now at a crossroad. Portrait of Britain is the microscope that helps us see more clearly what kind of nation that we’ve grown into. It’s a wonderful platform to show my image, shot during lockdown — a totally new experience for our nation” — Julia Fullerton-Batten, Portrait of Britain 2020 Winner
“I hope my portrait can help audiences see that there is a beautiful and powerful moment in every situation. That Black Dreams Matter and inclusive representation can inspire future generations — which benefits everyone. To win is a great feeling... Hopefully, it inspires young photographers from a similar background to me to keep pushing forward” — Brunel Johnson, Portrait of Britain 2020 Winner
Locations where the images can be seen include Transport for London bus shelters and major rail hubs, such as: London Euston, London King's Cross, London Liverpool Street, London Bridge, London St. Pancras, London Victoria and London Waterloo and also in Birmingham New Street, Brighton, Edinburgh Waverley, Glasgow Central, Leeds, Liverpool Lime Street, Manchester Piccadilly, Newcastle Central, Nottingham, and Sheffield, among others.
The exhibition will also be showcased on retail screens across the UK, including major retail and leisure destinations such as Bluewater, Buchanan Galleries (Glasgow) intu Eldon Square (Newcastle), intu Lakeside, intu Metrocentre (Newcastle), Liverpool One, One New Change (London), St David's (Cardiff), Trinity Leeds, Westfield London and many more.
