They stepped up when we needed them.
Now some of York’s lockdown heroes are being celebrated in unmissable street art writ large across the city centre.
Eleven key workers, all from York, have been chosen to be the subjects of a new outdoor exhibition, called Guardians Of York.
Larger-than-life images of the workers, from NHS staff to the York Rescue Boat team, will be placed on walls around the city centre – thanks to a collaboration between the York BID and Art of Protest Projects.
Those chosen for inclusion first told their story of working through the upheaval created by the pandemic, and then had their photographs taken.
These images have been transformed into brightly coloured, edgy, urban portraits by internationally acclaimed street artist collective The Postman.
Some of them will be 2m high.
They will be on show for three months, from 9 April to 9 July. This coincides with the relaxation of coronavirus restrictions and the reopening of many of the city’s businesses.
‘Real and raw’
There will be an interactive map showing where the artworks are – and who they are.
And video interviews, with each participant telling their story, will be shared online by the BID and Art of Protest. To see these, follow the BID on social media or search for the hashtag #GuardiansOfYork.
Participant Brenna Allsuch, an intensive care unit nurse, said, “Telling my story in such a real and raw way has helped me to understand the weight of this year, and to reflect on all the highs and lows.
“Beyond that, it’s made me feel like I’m part of a community, a collective of people that have not stopped going.”
Resident Suzie Fox agreed. “It’s amazing what these guys are doing, honouring the city’s workers who kept going to their jobs, despite the risks to them and their families,” she said.
The project is “making everyday people feel like the superheroes that they became”.
Executive director of the York BID, Andrew Lowson, said: “The BID has supported a couple of street art projects in the city over the past few years and its new five-year business plan outlines how it would like to provide more support in this area.
“The Guardians of York is an apt project to kick off reopening in 2021, as it will add a splash of colour to the city, whilst reminding the public of those local heroes who have worked hard to keep us all safe.”
Jeff Clark, director of Art of Protest Projects, is thrilled with the results of the collaboration.
“Helping people to realise the difference which urban art can make to a town or city, through its presence in York has been something we’ve been working towards for a long time,” he said.
“To be able to do it with such outstanding artists like The Postman, as well as our homegrown heroes, was beyond anything I could have imagined when we first set out.”
And The Postman said: “As the project builds momentum, we realise more and more how important it is to tell the stories of the people behind the masks. The key workers that have carried us through the last year, inspired us and made a difference to everybody’s lives.”