Stories in Isolation:
An exhibition documenting stories of Lockdown.
Approach
On 23 March 2020, the UK entered its first national Lockdown in response to the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Shortly afterwards, we put out an open call to the people of Wakefield to share their stories and experiences of Lockdown; the aim being to document these in the form of a large-scale, immersive installation where people could reflect on this unprecedented period in time.
The exhibition took the form of a large grid of socially distanced floor vinyls, representing the distance markers that were commonplace in public spaces at the time. Each circle featured an individual story, with 150 being displayed in total. Whilst many people reflected on heartbreaking moments in their lives, others also reflected on the everyday changes to life that sanctions, social distancing, and working from home brought about.
The exhibition was held in June 2021 at Wakefield’s former market hall and formed part of Creative Wakefield’s Together and Apart exhibition, which was designed to respond to the impact of COVID-19 on the district and its communities. The project was made possible with funding from Wakefield Council and Creative Wakefield.
