Award-winning broadcaster and presenter Angela Rippon CBE, alongside The Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery, Liveable Exeter and Exeter City Council, are calling for people to nominate their ‘Lockdown Legends’.
These nominations will form a photographic exhibition, created by the public, celebrating local people who have shown particular kindness, courage, humanity or ingenuity during the coronavirus pandemic.
From care workers to NHS staff, bus drivers to refuse collectors, people working at food banks and postal workers, teachers, parents and the teenager doing shopping for a neighbour, Lockdown Legends will celebrate the resilience of the people of Devon who have helped the most vulnerable in our society during the crisis.
Angela Rippon said: ‘There have been many uplifting stories about the heroic and selfless actions of individuals who have gone above and beyond to help others during this unprecedented time. This exhibition is an opportunity to celebrate and honour them and provide those that have been supported, or seen the lives of others improved, a chance to thank those individuals.’
A panel, consisting of Angela Rippon, Julian Tagg from the Exeter City Community Trust and a member of the Liveable Exeter Place Board, Cllr Amal Ghusain, Exeter City Councillor, lead for diversity, inclusion and communities, and Camilla Hampshire, Museum Manager at RAMM, will choose 100 people from these nominations to be recorded for posterity. They will be featured in a photographic exhibition on RAMM’s Showcase digital exhibition space and in a physical exhibition in Exeter, once coronavirus restrictions have been lifted. When the exhibition has finished, the stories and photos will be stored in the Devon Heritage Centre.
Camilla Hampshire, RAMM’s Museum Manager said: ‘RAMM is proud to be the home of a fascinating collection of objects from Devon’s history. We want to capture this moment in the region’s history and ensure a record is kept for future generations to see some of the stories of people who deserved recognition at this time.’
RAMM are inviting people to submit their nominations through the RAMM website www.rammuseum.org.uk/getting-involved/lockdown-legends. Nominations should consist of a photographic portrait of the nominee as well as no more than 100 words on why they feel that individual deserves to be recognised. Images can be captured on phones or cameras. Each image will be assessed on the emotion and experience it conveys, rather than its technical expertise.
RAMM have released a short video presented by photographer Anita Corbin which outlines simple guidelines on how best to capture a portrait photo.
Anita’s photographic exhibition, 100 First Women, will hopefully be showing at RAMM when the museum reopens.
The deadline for entries is midnight on Sunday 19th July with the final 100 Lockdown Legends being announced in August.
Lockdown Legends is kindly supported by Radio Exe and Archant, publishers of the Exmouth Journal, Midweek Herald, North Devon Gazette, Sidmouth Herald and the Torbay Weekly.