Take a Moment
Every picture tells a story, what's yours?
About this project
Take A Moment is a virtual exhibition made up of thousands of public uploads interspersed with a collection of portraits of some very famous faces by photographic artist, Ray Burmiston, all with their eyes closed. Helen Marshall, founder of the People’s Picture created this interactive mosaic for Take A Moment. Produced and conceptualised by Lara Journo-Leggatt, the purpose of the exhibition is to remind everyone about the importance of taking time for their mental health. The Photo Mosaic is also available to explore as a huge giga pixel image online in deep zoom. Zoom in and explore the collected eyes closed selfies of all those who took part.
Featured moments
5,500 photos collected
5,500
photos collected
The story
Take A Moment is about simply taking a few seconds every day for our mental health…to pause, breathe, disconnect and then reconnect, so we can find clarity. A simple action that can make a life changing difference in our fast-paced world. Over 500 household names lent their support and the campaign is back on Piccadilly Lights who generously donate over £1 million of airtime annually to support this mental health message. Now with charitable status, Take A Moment has a global ambition to hold hands across the internet and expand the archive of moments from thousands of photos to millions of photos with a campaign that stretches across the world on its most famous art spaces. Take A Moment was invited to display the collection, alongside public contributions in the spotlight space at the National Portrait Gallery. Curated by Lara Journo-Leggatt, the exhibition was part of a two-month partnership with Art of London. Piccadilly Lights took a break from commercials and gave back to the community with an incredible donation of airtime displaying hundreds of public contributions. Watch a video of the final screening on YouTube. Word about our project reached CBS News in the United States on World Mental Health Day. Watch a video of their coverage on YouTube.
In the news
The Straits Times | 2025
'Are you one of the silent climate majority?'
The Guardian | 2025
'Thousands meet their MPs to show huge demand for climate action'
Daily Record | 2024
'Andy Robertson surprised by giant mural of his FACE'
ITV London News | 2024
'150 years in Photographs'
Sky Sports | 2024
'Unbelievable like never seen before'
The Mirror | 2024
'Surreal Unveiling'
Cambridge Independent | 2023
'Spectacular!'
Time Out |2023
'Alexandra Palace wants your Selfies'
Evening Standard | 2023
'Artist to create Selfie Art'
BBC News | 2023
'Selfies wanted for Giant Artwork'
Explore our projects
Explore our projects
Take a Moment
Romero House, 55 Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7JB
https://takeamoment.uk/
Take A Moment began as a virtual exhibition in 2020 where people could share their eyes closed selfies, take a moment together, and see their photo within a virtual exhibition alongside some very well-known faces photographed by Ray Burmiston. Over 500 household names have lent their support and the campaign is back on Piccadilly Lights who generously donate over £1 million of airtime annually to support this mental health message.
“It’s so important for our mental health to take a moment and this campaign serves as a powerful reminder to find the time to breathe, reconnect and regain a sense of clarity. Everyone should pause and take a step back from time to time – it’s something we can all do no matter who or where we are. I’m delighted to have been part of the genesis of the project and to have seen it evolve into something much bigger, offering space for people to reconnect, where members of the public can join hundreds of famous faces raising awareness for mental health. It’s one of life’s most pleasant contradictions – when we close our eyes we can see so much more.”
Stephen Fry | Actor and supporter of Take A Moment
“I stumbled across the beautiful photographs and storytelling campaign of Take a Moment and just knew I had to make something with this inspirational material so I reached out to collaborate. It chimed with me as I related to it deeply on an individual, artistic and social level. Having recently had a traumatic experience that challenged my own mental health and wellbeing, this collaboration perfectly aligned with my need to take a moment to further create and heal through making collective art, something I have been doing all my life, joining up with this incredible community who all tell their story so powerfully via the sharing of a simple selfie en masse.”
Helen Marshall | Artist | The People’s Picture