Duchess Kate launches photo project to capture lockdown Britain

[May 07, 2020]  LONDON (Reuters) - Kate, Britain's Duchess of Cambridge, launched a project on Thursday to encourage Britons to submit pictures of their current daily lives and the work of "Helpers and Heroes" to capture a snapshot of the nation in coronavirus lockdown.

The "Hold Still" project, being run by London's National Portrait Gallery, aims to document the spirit and mood of the public during the six-week lockdown during which they have been subject to strict limits on their movements and gatherings.

Britain has the highest official death toll from the new coronavirus in Europe, according to figures released on Tuesday, and there has been widespread outpouring of support for healthcare workers and others carrying out essential jobs since measures were introduced to try to curb the COVID-19 outbreak.

Kate, the gallery's patron and a herself a keen photographer, said the project sought to capture the "resilience, bravery, kindness" that people were experiencing in such extraordinary times.

"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," she said in a statement.

"Some desperately sad images showing the human tragedy of this pandemic and other uplifting pictures showing people coming together to support those more vulnerable."

Kensington Palace said the project was open to submissions from Britons of all ages and abilities, with 100 shortlisted pictures, selected by the emotion and experience they convey rather technical quality, to feature in a digital exhibition.

(Reporting by Michael Holden; editing by Stephen Addison)

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