2020 Vision Project | A Visual Tribute
Behind the Mask: A Tribute to UK Healthcare Workers
The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the world as we knew it. It has challenged our healthcare systems and highlighted the necessity of our healthcare workers. In the UK, a group of portrait photographers came together to create a tribute to these unsung heroes. They called it the 2020 Vision Project.
The Story
It all started when Brighton photographer Sophie Sheinwald rediscovered portraits she had taken of hospital staff that were exhibited over 20 years ago. Moved by the national surge of appreciation towards NHS carers at the cusp of the first UK lockdown in March 2020, she had an idea – what if she invited portrait photographers from across the UK to highlight these incredibly vital individuals and create a body of beautiful nationwide portraiture?
Sophie put out a call on Facebook Live, and soon she became inundated with messages from photographers, all wanting to join her in this tribute. The 2020 Vision Project was born.
The Project
A hundred skilled photographers were selected from across the nation. Each photographer was asked to capture the person BEHIND THE MASK to portray human connection using their own individual style. The challenge was to contact healthcare workers during the eye of the storm of the pandemic – and have them agree to participate!
Photographers who joined put calls out in their local areas, from Aberdeen to Southampton. Each took time to find willing NHS healthcare employees as well as carers across the UK. During the summer, unique photo sessions were booked in, using studios and outdoor spaces. Healthcare workers were photographed with social distancing measures.
In September 2020, the project was proud to hold a well-received live showcase exhibition of 100 photographs in London. The photographs were exhibited alongside very touching personal accounts of the challenges and inspiration that was found – stories of dedication, resilience, and teamwork shone through.
The Team
The 2020 Vision Project was led by brand photographer Sophie Sheinwald, who managed to build a wonderful talented collective of UK photographers from hundreds of enquiries that came flooding in. Dave Archer, an award-winning and published commercial photographer, and Calvin Chinthaka, a fashion image-making expert, were among the talented photographers who joined the team. The project also had the support of PR and social media guru Verity Payne and Annie Murray, founder of the charitable trust Horizon.
The Impact
Through visual storytelling, the 2020 Vision Project gave thanks to healthcare workers who've been protecting society. It was a collective effort that captured the human stories of these frontline workers who showed dedication, resilience, teamwork, and extraordinary patient care throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a tribute to their bravery and selflessness during the most challenging times they have ever experienced.
The project also showed the power of collaboration and the ability of photography to connect people and share stories. It was a touching reminder of the strength and resilience of our healthcare workers and the importance of supporting them.
The 2020 Vision Project is still ongoing, with plans for more showcases through indoor and outdoor exhibitions. If you're interested in showcasing these touching stories in your area, do get in touch.
As one of the photographers involved, I am proud to have contributed to this tribute to our healthcare workers. It was an honour to capture their stories and be part of this project.
The 2020 Vision Project team worked tirelessly to ensure that healthcare workers across the UK were recognized and appreciated for their incredible work during the pandemic. Sophie Sheinwald, the driving force behind the project, put out a call on Facebook Live to invite like-minded photographers to join her in this tribute and was overwhelmed with messages from photographers across the UK who wanted to be involved.
The challenge for the photographers was to contact healthcare workers during the pandemic and have them agree to participate in the project. Despite this challenge, 100 skilled photographers were selected from across the nation and each was asked to capture the person BEHIND THE MASK in their own individual style, using studios and outdoor spaces while maintaining social distancing measures.
The result was a collection of powerful and moving photographs that highlighted the dedication, resilience, teamwork, and extraordinary patient care of healthcare workers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The photographs were exhibited alongside very touching personal accounts of the challenges and inspiration that was found – stories of dedication, resilience and teamwork shone through.
The project culminated in a live showcase exhibition of 100 photographs in London in September 2020, which was very well received. Since then, the 2020 Vision Project has launched a special online gallery of selected photos, and is currently working on more showcases through indoor and outdoor exhibitions.
The team behind the 2020 Vision Project includes talented photographers from across the UK, each with their own unique style and approach to capturing the human story. Sophie Sheinwald, the founder of the project, is a published, award-winning photographer and visual storyteller with over 20 years of experience in the visual arts. Dave Archer, an award-winning and published commercial photographer, Nikon and Lastolite Brand ambassador, joined the team in November 2020 and became a big asset to the project. Verity Payne, a PR and social media guru, also joined the team in November and has been instrumental in raising awareness of the project.
In addition to the talented photographers on the team, the project also received support from Horizon, a charitable trust based in Brighton that provides film and photography workshops for people in recovery from addiction. Annie Murray, the founder of Horizon, helped kickstart the project and was instrumental in getting Arts Council funding for the project.
As one of the photographers involved in the 2020 Vision Project, I am proud to have been a part of this powerful tribute to healthcare workers across the UK. Through visual storytelling, we were able to give thanks to those who dedicated their lives to service during such an intense period of time. I look forward to seeing more showcases of these touching stories in the future.
Jess Simon - Therapeutic Care Support Worker
Jess kindly volunteered to be one of my models, and for the first exhibition at the end of September, she was chosen to represent my six models.
Jess works as a Therapeutic care support worker at James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough. When I met Jess, I came across how much she cared for her patients and how much she has had to deal with them throughout all of this.
When I was photographing Jess, I just wanted to keep it simple and show some of my favourite places when I was growing up. The weather was perfect, with some fantastic golden light to work with.
Below are some of the photos from Jess's photoshoot.
Emily Symington - Speech and Language Therapist
When Photographing Emily, I wanted to showcase my favourite spot on the North Yorkshire Moors. Ella Beck is a tumbling river with rapids and waterfalls that runs alongside the North Yorkshire Steam Railway. Over thousands of years, it has carved out a beautiful gorge that's lined with Ash and Oak trees.
Sophie Warnes - Pyhisiopheripist
With sophies photo, I wanted to showcase one of my favourite scenes in the whole world. Gribdale rock sits high on the North Yorkshire Moors but has views spanning across the Tees Valley.
It also has stunning views of Roseberry topping, which for me is a natural beacon that, once it comes into view, signals you are nearly home.
Lyndsey Thompson - Associate Practitioner
I met Lyndsey at another famous local spot that highlights our heritage on Teesside. From the top of the dunes at South gare, it gives you 360-degree views of where the river Tees meets the North Sea.
It's hard to imagine now what it must have been like in its heyday. Shipbuilding on the Tees views Redcar's famous steelworks, fishing huts, and long sweeping sandy beaches. Its the one places that perfectly sums up what Teesside is all about. A glimpse of man's grip it has on mother nature and how it wields this power. A hundred years ago, the river Tees had been alive. The noise of metal clashing in the shipyards, mixed with the smell of smoke from the steelworks, filled the air.
Kristy Ohare
Saltburn By The Sea is a beautiful little coastal town on the Yorkshire Coast. As it sits on a clifftop, it has an impressive hidden gorge that runs below it which the Victorians turned into pristine gardens.
With Kristy's photo, I wanted to showcase a little hidden treasure that perfectly shows our heritage. Saltburn viaduct is an eleven-arched railway bridge. The Viaduct opened in 1872 for the local railway line.
With the golden light of a summer’s evening, it worked perfectly as our backdrop to her photo.
